


Loyalties

by Iamnamedsilence



Series: The Sickness of Spark [2]
Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Action/Adventure, Aliens, Assassination Attempt(s), Body Horror, Character Death Fix, Depression, Fix-It, Friendship, Gen, Heist, Horror, Hurt/Comfort, Imprisonment, M/M, Major Character Undeath, Minor Character Death, Original Character Death(s), Post-Canon Fix-It, Romance, Scheming, Slow Burn, Sticky Sexual Interfacing, They live because fuck you AU, Torture, Transformers Big Bang 2019, a little organic (alien) gore, depressed character, loyalty issues, probably, some smut towards the end of the story, these are only OCs that are dying, tone change halfway the story
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-16
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-09-02 05:18:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 22
Words: 99,197
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20270608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamnamedsilence/pseuds/Iamnamedsilence
Summary: A former warlord, imprisoned and broken.A former hero who should be dead.A master spy – with a plan.And a human soldier who dreamed of meeting aliens.When Soundwave recovers from the near-fatal damage he suffered while fighting Unicron, everything is changed. The cause he dedicated all his life to doesn’t exist anymore, but one thing is even worse: Megatron’s fate.Soundwave, who had lost too much, is now determined to free his former leader and he is not alone in this mission – there are his remaining symbionts, Shatter and her amica endura – two ambitious, yet angry mecha from alternate universe, one Autobot, unable to stay properly dead, and one human soldier who believes she participates in a very different plan.There is a rescue mission planned, but this is just the beginning of something much bigger. The solar system, where the Galactic Council has its biggest station, holds an ancient, dark secret…





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story is part of the Transformers Big Bang 2019. Please visit the collection and read other stories!
> 
> Illustrations by The Awkward Enthusiast - they will be added to the chapters 2 and 8. Meanwhile visit the artist on Twitter (https://twitter.com/itzenthusiasm) and Tumblr (https://theawkwardenthusiast.tumblr.com) where you can see the art!
> 
> Beta by Harpijka
> 
> The story will be updated weekly during August and probably twice a week afterwards.  
There will also be small side stories on the way.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quantum anomalies, part 1 – Some mecha just cannot die – Soundwave has a plan – Are you going to save your enemy?

The anomaly didn’t look different from the others similar to it. Unicron’s demise created many of them, every one both like and unlike the others: clusters of misplaced elements, remnants of Destroyer’s own physical body merged with things he devoured, laws of physics going crazy. They were dangerous, but usually small enough to be explored more or less safely if one were cautious. They were often worth the risk: many resources could be found inside, including energon.

Frenzy insisted to go this time, hoping to find something interesting and – he couldn’t hide that from Soundwave – to put his hands on it before anyone else does.

“Come on, boss,” he said. “We had lost many more than they had. The station still needs massive repairs if it ever is going to be functional again.”

The last argument was convincing. Soundwave wanted his station functional. He wanted to rebuild his community, to gather what was left of Decepticons – and other mecha - who could share his vision of discredited philosophy. The old dream he never abandoned, not even when Windblade told him, that he should forget it, now, that their race was finally close to being one. Soundwave just smiled under his mask and told Windblade politely that creating a sanctuary didn’t exclude working together. He wouldn’t question the newly achieved Cybertronian unity. If the new age really brought the end to old divides, then it was good. He wouldn’t act against it. But others should consider the community he wanted to build an option. Being one people didn’t exclude being diverse, Windblade should remember this. Would she throw away her Camien identity?

He was able to convince Windblade. He shared his resources with her and provided her with crucial information. She didn’t suspect he had plans other than rebuilding the station and preserve those aspects Decepticon culture, that was worth it.

He was aware that if he shared his plans with Windblade, she would do everything to stop him. So would many other mecha. Therefore he developed his plan slowly, patiently, chose wisely whom he introduced to whom, surrounding himself by mecha dedicated, loyal and not wanting to start another war: and that meant a very few of them. Even most of Decepticons, that didn’t reject the insignia, were untrustworthy. Some of them would follow his plan indeed, but only to start a war: against the rest of their race, against Galactic Council. Soundwave pitied them. They didn’t know any better, too corrupted by millennia of war, unable to look past it, wanting violence for the violence itself.

So if he planned to use those small groups of pirates and marauders, he didn’t want them to know what he truly intended.

In the end, he was always in need: of help, of resources. That was why he allowed Frenzy to go to this recon mission alone, instead of waiting for support.

For Frenzy, going alone meant he was to keep more of potential findings to them before they would have to share. Not exactly fair, but they needed whatever they could put their servos on.

If Soundwave knew, what waited inside this anomaly – would he still let Frenzy go alone?

He would not, probably.

He thanked himself later that he had decided to monitor Frenzy’s progress. Anomalies, even as small as this one, were dangerous, and Soundwave had lost too many people close to him, to allow Frenzy to risk too much. This way, he could help his cassette from a distance or order him to back out. Also, this time he happened to have few other duties, with Rumble making contacts that would help with the plan later and his newest ally off to maintain her, let’s say, professional relationships. She was good at this and Soundwave almost regretted the Decepticons hadn’t had her at their side during the war.

Frenzy approached the anomaly. Sensors on his little scouting ship sent Soundwave visuals and datastream. It looked like a part of a mechanical structure fused with an asteroid. It was possible, that the mechanical part was a piece of destroyed Cybertron, but the rock had another origin, judging from the way both parts fused. The entire structure cracked with energy.

“See that, boss?” Frenzy asked, pointing at the readings.

Soundwave put them on a screen to be able to see better,

The readings indicated, that there was a massive discharge of quantum energy in the centrum of the anomaly just recently. Nothing dangerous right now, but residue was still visible. This wasn’t anything observed before, quantum energy was part of most post-Unicron anomalies. It was probably the force that fused asteroid to a part of Cybertron in the first place – and someone started to speculate that it was responsible for the creation of energon deposits that were often found in the anomalies. Since the discharge was a recent thing, it was possible that something had just appeared inside the anomaly.

“Anomaly is fresh,” Soundwave said. “Caution: advised”

“Roger that, boss” Frenzy answered, but he didn’t slow his ship down.

He started to encircle the asteroid though, before approaching, so that they both could take a good look on the objects in front of Frenzy’s ship.

It seemed that there was indeed a decent energon deposit inside the structure formed from mismatched parts. Frenzy should have no problems to get to it. This looked promising.

The ship made another circle and the sensors received readings and visuals from a surface of the stone and metal object. There was something laying there, a vaguely familiar shape.

“Fraggin’ slag, boss” Frenzy gasped. “We have a corpse.”

On the asteroid’s surface lied a heavily damaged Cybertronian frame. Mech’s armor was missing, dented or twisted, twisted were his limbs, plating was almost gray. The mech didn’t move and no wonder Frenzy believed him dead, but Soundwave noticed readings indicating active spark. The mech was alive, although barely.

“Alive. Order: retrieve him” Soundwave said.

“Will do that!”

Frenzy’s ship approached. The grayish frame showed the initial colors, still not faded away: blue and red. Those colors and the frame type were quite distinct and very, very familiar.

“Spawn of a glitch!” Frenzy cursed, stopping the engines. “Boss, tell me you are seeing what I am!”

“Affirmative,” Soundwave answered, calm as always, but surprised and even amused by what he was seeing.

“Change of orders, heh? I can go down and end it with one blow.”

“Request denied. Frenzy proceeds as ordered.

“You can’t be serious, boss!”

“Frenzy proceeds as ordered,” Soundwave repeated.

He understood Frenzy’s objection to his orders. He was doing calculations himself and he knew, why killing Optimus not-anymore-a-Prime would be a good idea.

Starting with “he should be dead anyway” and ending with “he was an enemy”.

“This fragger didn’t manage to stay properly dead. Again!” Frenzy exclaimed. “I wouldn’t mind if he just died finally, really. And you want me to save him. Really, are you out of your processor?”

“Soundwave: stable. Frenzy: proceeds as planned. Orders: retrieve Optimus Prime.”

Frenzy grumbled displeased, but Soundwave knew he will follow the orders. The ship approached the asteroid surface slowly.

Soundwave observed the readings carefully, magnifying the visuals. Most of the damage seemed to be caused by multiple collisions, possibly with the asteroid itself. Optimus must have taken a hard fall. What was curious, nothing reminded of the scattered footage of the former Prime’s encounter with Unicron. What was even more curious, the residue of quantum energy seemed to concentrate over the mech.

“So that’s how you made it...” Soundwave muttered to himself.

He had read the reports of what happened to Lost Light during its start. He was not surprised at all. Unicron’s destruction was one big anomaly that spawned several smaller ones – and one of them lied on the asteroid where Frenzy had just landed his ship.

Optimus was this anomaly.

Soundwave noticed the door behind his back opening. It was Buzzsaw; Soundwave wouldn’t allow another’s presence. But the three symbionts who survived needed to know everything and there was no need to hide things from them, even if they didn’t agree with Soundwave’s choices.

“Windblade demands results of Frenzy’s recon,” Buzzsaw informed, seating himself on Soundwave’s shoulder. He cocked his head to get a better view on the large screens showing Frenzy preparing to land and then approaching the unconscious mech and trying to carry him – the size difference didn’t make it easy, despite asteroid’s low gravity – to the ship.

“Information of finding energon deposit will be provided,” Soundwave said. He was not pleased by the fact Windblade knew of the mission. But with enough energon, she would probably stop asking questions.

“He found much more.” Buzzsaw noted. “I assume you decided not to finish what was started.”

“Frenzy: suggested this already. Reasoning understood request declined. Every surviving Cybertronian needed. Buzzsaw: objects too?”

“Some mecha should stay dead,” Buzzsaw stated.

Soundwave couldn’t entirely disagree. He only believed this might not be the case.

***

Optimus was still offline when Frenzy placed him on the ship and started the engines. Soundwave put the readings of former Prime on his monitors. Quantum energy residue remained unchanged, but it was to weaken in time. Spark and brain functions readings were faint. Soundwave wondered, if the mech Frenzy took to his ship was going to have full memories of what happened. It was possible, but judging from the brain module readings it also could be heavily damaged – even to the point where they would have to deal with a mech who would have no identity except basic programming – like a newspark. In the last case proceeding would be the easiest: give the mech frame mods that would conceal his earlier identity, give him new designation and just keep him and teach without telling anyone where he came from. Some of Decepticons would consider this outcome a tempting irony. Soundwave thought of it as one of the possibilities. Another mech loyal to him would be a good advantage, no matter, who he was before.

If Optimus was still Optimus… that was another story. Proceeding would be more complicated, riskier… and Soundwave was aware that it might have ended in Optimus’ death.

He did not want this. He had sentiments against the former Prime – to begin with, against the sole idea of Primacy – but no reason to kill him now. He actually believed his find could be useful.

But what he needed first was to prepare for Frenzy’s return.

***

There were darkness and nothingness, and peace. There were death and oblivion and he was calm at last.

Then there was pain that indicated death was not true. There was falling, there was chaos, there was his frame hitting many, many surfaces, pierced with charge and energy. Then there was darkness again, but this time it did not indicate death.

Then there was light, bright lights above his head, monitors showing some readings – took a little time to recognize this was medical monitors and the readings were his own. Another proof he was not dead.

This seemed like a fraud or the Universe’s bad joke. Optimus felt disappointed.

But the fear emerged. If he was alive, did it mean he failed?

But now, if he failed, he would be dead anyway, along with the rest of the Universe, wouldn’the?

He sat up. He felt cables connecting his frame to the medical berth. There were indications of damage all over his body, but he was, as far as he could recognize it, whole.

The door opened and subconsciously he expected to see Ratchet, but there was another medic; Optimus had seen him once, but couldn’t recall his name now.

The medic looked at him for a while, before he spoke.

“Well, welcome to the living world, I suppose”

“What happened?” Optimus asked.

“Soundwave will explain”

Soundwave. So he was not the only one, who survived. He remembered Soundwave’s death – or maybe whatever happened was messing with his processor. Optimus wanted to ask many questions. Like “Why Soundwave” or “Is Unicron still there”, but the medic didn’t seem inclined to talk to him. Flatline, Optimus recalled his name, formerly a Decepticon medic, which might explain working with Soundwave.

“Thank you for help,” Optimus said, although he was not exactly thankful. He should be dead.

“Thank Soundwave, not me,” Flatline answered. “He made the decision to bring you here.”

That might have meant lots of things. Whatever was the reason Optimus was alive, Soundwave was the one to save him and had him fixed. So he must have his motives because Soundwave never did anything without reasoning first. He was too practical and him saving Optimus – if saving was needed – was not an act of sentiment or duty, but of planning and calculations.

This was a paranoid thought, Optimus reminded himself. And Soundwave might have been cold and calculating, but he would never beat Shockwave at this game. And in the end, they worked together. Soundwave survived and decided to help his unlikely ally.

Optimus had no choice but to wait. Flatline left him in what looked like a social room. It had miscolored patches on its walls and damaged couch. It also had a large window. Outside Optimus could see the familiar pattern of blues and greens: Earth. Then he saw the brightness of the sun over the edge of the planet – but on the other side, darkness lingered, a black hole placed there like a twin star to Sol.

This was new. This indicated many things changed.

The door slid open again.

“Greetings,” the Decepticon master spy said in his usual, expressionless manner. Optimus had heard him using different speech patterns, but as far as he knew Soundwave preferred to choose this impersonal speech when dealing with his business. And Optimus was business. “Patient: alive. According to Flatline, brain patterns normal. Correct?”

“Correct.”

“Optimus has any memories of what happened?”

“I destroyed Unicron. Or I at least tried” he looked again at the sight outside the window. Earth existed, despite the menacing presence of the black hole. “I died. Or at least I believed I did.”

He should die and stay dead. What did Soundwave do – and, most importantly: why?

“Correct. Optimus: dead. Unicron: destroyed.”

“This doesn’t look like the Afterspark to me.”

“Multiple anomalies caused by Unicron’s destruction. Many quantum disturbances. Frenzy: found Optimus in an anomaly. Conclusion: a quantum copy created.”

So he really died: and then Universe decided to pull a prank and copied him.

“Lost Light data logs” Soundwave continued “indicate quantum copy has all the memories of an original. Is an original. Creation of a copy: creates two identical versions. Conclusion: both Optimuses equally real.”

“I see. Did it happen to another mech?” he asked. “Are you the same case?”

There were many who died. Most of them deserved surviving more than he did.

“Soundwave only damaged. Other quantum copies: unknown. Speculation: Optimus the only case. Speculation: the exact moment of Unicron’s destruction critical.”

This was unfair. Optimus ex-vented sharply.

“Your cassette found me. And you decided to save me.”

“Reasons to let Optimus die: nonexistent. Casualties: huge. Conclusion: every Cybertronian needed.”

“This is reasonable,” Optimus agreed.

Soundwave was a reasonable mech after all.

“If I am correct, we are on your station? Or on what was left of it?”

“Affirmative. Station heavily damaged. In rebuilt for three standard years.”

“Three standard years?”

“Nature of the anomalies: influences timespace continuum.”

Optimus nodded.

“I understand,” he said. “Many things happened, as I suspect?”

There must have happened a lot of things, and this worried him. Soundwave took him to his headquarters and put in medical care – with the medic being a former Decepticon. There were no Autobots outside the door wanting to see their former leader. Soundwave hadn’t informed anyone of what he found.

“What you are planning to do with me?” Optimus asked, changing the pattern of his voice to sharper, sterner.

“Undecided. Optimus being alive: a disturbance, potential trouble, and chaos.”

“Yet you didn’t kill me.”

“Cassettes advised killing. Soundwave: understands the reasoning, but every Cybertronian needed. Optimus needed too. Soundwave: needs help. Optimus: provides help.”

“So I am your prisoner?”

He didn’t have the strength to fight, not now.

“Optimus: in debt.”

“For saving my life. I get it. Only I didn’t want to be saved or alive.”

“Such an answer expected. No change in expectations. Optimus: needs to understand the current situation.”

“I guess I don’t have a choice.”

He had a choice – he could always fight. But this was not what he wanted, not now.

***

Of course, Soundwave’s “guest” listened to the description of the situation with disbelief. He even closed his eyes in a way that indicated he was on a brink of nervous laughter – though he maintained his self-control. Soundwave admired that. Most mecha wouldn’t manage to keep calm put into a situation like that. Yet this was Optimus, and he might have no longer hold the Matrix, but he had millions of years of being a leader in politics and on a battlefield: and he learned to keep his emotions in check and not give in to the provocations.

From some point of view, Soundwave’s expectations might have to look like a provocation.

“You want me to help you do what?”

“Megatron: imprisoned. Soundwave plans to free him. Help needed.”

“Why do you believe I will help you to do this?”

This was a question Soundwave expected. He smiled internally, but Optimus was unable to notice it. There were many mecha, who managed to be very expressive with their face covered with both mask and visor – Soundwave was not one of them.

“Megatron was sentenced for his crimes as it was planned,” Optimus continued. “The Galactic Council gave a verdict according to their laws. I have no reasons to object to their judgment – and Megatron committed many crimes against species other than the Cybertronians. What happened was right. And I understand you oppose and you are still loyal to him, but you know that the consequences of freeing him would be disastrous.”

“The Council: proceeded according to their laws. Decisions reasonable. Cybertronian interests supported. Good relations with the Council: desired.”

Optimus shook his head.

“You agree but you want to do something that will undermine this decision and Cybertronian interests. I knew you were loyal, but this is not loyalty, but stupidity...”

“Soundwave: aware of potential problems. Optimus: needs to see something.”

He showed his “guest” a place on a coach. Then he turned on the screen, showing footage from the trial. Now all he needed was to wait and observe because Optimus’ reactions were indeed interesting – as were the thoughts indicated by the readings of the field his processor emitted. As Soundwave expected, it was Rodimus’ passionate speech that was the most impressive, but the testimonies of the rest of Lost Light’s crew also showed something. Then there were the mecha from the alternate universe that just couldn’t believe their greatest hero, who defended them from the Functionist regime, could be the monster, the mass murderer. Optimus stared in disbelief.

“Opinion now?” Soundwave asked. He already knew, how conflicted his guest was.

“I… I don’t know,” Optimus admitted. “This is not what I expected.”

“Query: what Optimus expected when he sent Megatron with the Lost Light?”

The answer was a long silence and Soundwave could only suspect conflicted thoughts and feelings struggling inside Optimus’ processor.

Then the answer came.

“I hoped he would die during the journey.”

Optimus sat bowed down, not looking on the screen, where the footage was paused. Soundwave did the pause deliberately in a moment, where the camera focused on Rodimus’ face. The young mech’s expressive face showed frustration and anger. This was Rodimus trying to defend a friend, not an Autobot on the trial of a Decepticon leader.

Optimus might have been a competent leader, scary fighter and a former Prime, he might have committed several crimes himself – especially from Decepticon point of view – but he was also known for caring for his mecha and believing them. He needed time to process the information.

Soundwave wasn’t going to give him this time. He forwarded the footage to the moment of final judgment and played it again to show Megatron’s face and the horror when the verdict turned out to be infinite imprisonment.

Soundwave with satisfaction noticed that Optimus clenches his fists. His thoughts were a conflicted mess.

“Opinion required now,” he said in his usual manner.

Optimus looked at Soundwave, his eyes glowed in anger, his mouth clenched, denta gritting. This was the limit of his self-control, and without the mask, he was unable to hide some emotions as he used to before.

“Why do you ask? You already know!”

“Opinion required,” Soundwave repeated.

“This is not what I expected,” Optimus said “And I try to have an opinion” He kept looking at Soundwave, angry and disturbed at the same time. “And I don’t know what should be done”.

“Taking some time suggested,” Soundwave said and left, leaving his guest with doubts and Megatron’s face frozen on the screen.

The cassettes waited outside, excited and curious.

“How did it went?” Frenzy asked.

Soundwave smiled under the mask.

“Predictions: Optimus will agree to the plan.”

“You are very optimistic on this matter,” Buzzsaw noted. He sat on Soundwave’s shoulder and Soundwave reached his hand to pet his symbiote’s head with affection. Buzzsaw bowed to the touch.

“Use of words and images calculated. Optimus personal profile well known. Soundwave: appeals to the trust Optimus puts in his Autobots and to the sense of community and to a belief everyone can change. Guilt also used.”

“Does he even feel guilty?” Rumble debuted.

Soundwave nodded.

“Affirmative. Guilt highly possible and compatible with Optimus’ personal profile.”

***

This was all wrong. What Soundwave had left him with was impossible to grasp, to understand and to connect with the previous knowledge and all the expectations.

Soundwave really expected Optimus will help him to free Megatron. This was the worst idea in the entire Universe, and Optimus was the worst person to be asked to participate in this madness. Surely Soundwave had enough followers, devoted to both him and Megatron to proceed alone, to make his plan reality and then to draw the entire Galaxy into a neverending war again. Because that was how it would end: the Council declaring war on weakened Cybertronians, Decepticons finding new strength to fight, against both the aliens and their own race. Megatron was punished for his crimes, freeing him would only mean denying the punishment.

But then, imprisonment seemed to be needlessly cruel. Death would be merciful and it would put a definite end to the madness Megatron caused. Imprisonment was provoking actions like this planed by Soundwave… and its terms were so horrible that it was hard to think anyone would consider this punishment a more humane choice. But yet this was an explanation, that considering the mitigating circumstances and the support of his crew the accused doesn’t deserve to die.

He should have died, Optimus thought. I should have died. We both should be dead and yet we are alive and us being alive is the threat to the Universe. What does Soundwave want, saving me and then saving Megatron?

Soundwave left him with footage frozen, but still on. Optimus rewind it into the scene of Rodimus’ testimony. It was fierce and passionate and sincere. This was not Rodimus forced to lie: this was all him, full of hope, full of anger and full of passion, and desperate. He really wanted his co-captain and friend back with him.

If Optimus could meet him, look him in the eye, would he be able to tell Rodimus what he just has told Soundwave? Would he be able to tell the rest of the Lost Light crew that he believes Megatron should be punished?

Did he even believe, that this punishment was the right thing? He had believed it during Megatron’s first trial when he hoped this to be over soon. Then he wanted Megatron’s death.

No, this was a lie. He wanted the madness of war to be over and he wanted the crimes to be punished, and he wanted Cybertronians to live in peace and all the Universe to recover after millennia of war. But if he was to tell that he wanted Megatron dead… No, that was not something he wanted.

Once he believed Megatron’s words were true, his struggles to overthrow the regime worth following. He once had called Megatron his friend – it was so many thousands of years ago, that sometimes Optimus wondered, if it had really happened or if it had been just a dream.

Looking at the footage again, he thought it was like there were two Megatrons: one of them a psychotic, genocidal villain wanting to conquer the universe and rule over it as a tyrant – the other a revolutionary believing inequality, an idealist, a poet, a medic, Lost Light’s captain, Rodimus’ friend. The formerone deserved death. The latter – no.

And neither of them deserved indefinite imprisonment.

Optimus looked once again at the scene frozen at the screen. The same scene Soundwave had left him with: Megatron’s face:, the face of a mech who had just lost everything and for whom death would be a mercy.

This face already haunted Optimus for most of his life. It seemed it was to haunt him for the rest of his life, for all the eternity, for as long, as Megatron would be imprisoned and Optimus himself – alive.

It was not how it should be. They should both be dead, the universe free from them for the rest of its existence.

But since they were still alive, how could Optimus leave Megatron like that?

He stood up, turned the screen on. The door didn’t open, so he banged on it.

“Soundwave!”

The Decepticon master spy entered, his face devoid of any expression, visor reflecting the room and Optimus’ own face.

“Soundwave: listening.”

“I’ll help you.”

Optimus could swear that this was the moment Soundwave smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Conflicted feelings – The Sanctuary – Orion Pax, part 1 – Shatter is angry – You are free to go

This was the first time Optimus visited Soundwave’s station. As the Sanctuary was founded, Soundwave announced his utopia was to be open to every Cybertronian regardless of their previous affiliation, on one condition only: they needed to reject Primacy. And if no Prime supporters were allowed on the station, then all the more wasn’t the Prime.

The place was big, but most of it was closed. Several former living quarters and public spaces were now gaping holes, locked from the rest of the station. You had to be careful about which doors could be opened and which ones not. Many systems were damaged, running on reserves. If Soundwave wanted to rebuild, he didn’t have enough resources and workforce. Yet he clung to the station, as he clung to his old life, not wanting to let go – neither his old dream nor his old master.

Optimus was curious what course Soundwave’s mind took. There was the time when Soundwave, apparently appalled by Megatron’s defection, turned his back on his former leader. He supported Galvatron for a while, then tried to gather his own supporters, before Unicron came. Never had Optimus heard that Soundwave wished Megatron to come back… But, in the end, Soundwave was always the quiet, secretive one, and if anyone knew what was going on in his processor – it was his cassettes.

They had never really talked. Neither had they known each other. Knowing each other was not necessary for enemies, of course, but there were many things Optimus could say about Starscream, for example. Thinking of Shockwave sometimes still hurt, even after all those millennia. Not to mention Megatron. But if he was to say anything about Soundwave, he would say he was competent, stable and as trustworthy, as a Decepticon could be. If Soundwave was to plan something, he would do it carefully, avoiding as many unexpected circumstances as possible, and then follow it to success. If the Decepticons would have relayed on Soundwave more than they did, they would have won the war.

Soundwave was also one of the few Decepticons Optimus could name, who didn’t indulge in murder. Soundwave was a killer and could be ruthless, but he was reasonable about it – and didn’t do it for fun, but as a part of the strategy. Where other members of Decepticon command were cruel or reckless, he tried to keep the loss count and collateral damage to a minimum. One could say he was cold and calculating – but not in the way Shockwave was. Soundwave had mecha he cared about – his cassettes of course, but there were also those rumors about his relationship with Cosmos. If they were true, no one knew nowadays.

And in the end, Soundwave proved to be a good ally. He didn’t hesitate to sacrifice his life – Optimus had believed him dead until they met now. Flatline, whom Optimus had talked to after he learned about Megatron’s trial, claimed Soundwave’s cassettes found what was left of their carrier: mostly spark and damaged brain, not much of an actual frame. Flatline needed to build everything anew, but fixing the brain module was the hardest task.

To a degree, the station was as damaged as its owner was before; and Soundwave was determined in his attempts to rebuild it.

This could be a nice place to live, Optimus decided, while entering a hall that was apparently a part of the social area. Now it was abandoned, part of walls stripped of exterior layer, a small crystal garden in the middle damaged. The presence of it was especially saddening. It must have been beautiful, a harmony of minerals and colors chosen to show that whoever designed it, had the sense of aesthetic surpassing what was commonly assigned to the Decepticons. But even the Decepticons could appreciate art and beauty. Megatron was a poet, and there was a harsh, sad beauty in what he wrote. During the war returning to his verses was a weird experience, painful, but somehow Optimus used to do this, again and again, as if he found pleasure in pain it caused to his spark.

Why did he have to think about it right now? This was messed up or maybe his processor was messed up - he was not sure - from the combination of death and reconstruction as a quantum copy, the damage he took afterward, Soundwave’s work, or maybe just the weight of everything that happened. The weight of being alive, when you thought everything in your life came to the closure, and then suddenly you were back, not knowing what you should do now.

He stood there for a while, looking at the crystals before he heard someone approaching. Two mecha, judging from the voices. They entered the room, talking, then stopped and got quiet after they saw Optimus.

The red one had their frame slightly curvier, in shape often chosen by those who used “she” pronoun, blue one had quite a standard frame. The way they were built indicated elements of both grounder and flight alt-mode. Most probably triple changers. Purple insignia were distinct on their plaiting, covered with fresh, glistening paint, although the rest of their armor would need some buffing to match it.

The red one’s optics widened as soon as she noticed Optimus.

“Orion?!” she exclaimed. “Soundwave said we were going to have help, but I didn’t expect that it would be you. How in the Primus’ name…”

The other triple changer grabbed their companion’s arm.

“This is not our Orion, Shatter,” they said.

Shatter nodded.

“Right. I’m sorry, you don’t know us and I was surprised to see you, but Orion of our universe was killed… But you are still here, so we don’t have to worry. I’m glad that Megatron has his closest friend to help him. I’m Shatter, by the way” she approached to shake Optimus’ hand before he managed to protest on calling him Megatron’s friend. “This is my amica, Dropkick.”

“Good to meet you both”, Optimus said. “I should like to clarify some things… First, I don’t use the name Orion for a long time now. Second, I am not Megatron’s friend.”

This was harsh, but this needed to be said. Whoever the Orion in the alternate universe was, Shatter made a false assumption based on his attitude to Megatron.

“Then let me apologize for my mistake,” Shatter said.

This was anything but an apology. She just acknowledged she was mistaken but hadn’t seen it as a reason to be ashamed. She looked Optimus’ straight in the optics and by her stance he saw she was very confident. Her amica stood a few steps behind her, cautious and observant, but not shy at all. It was obvious that of the two Shatter was the leader, but Dropkick shouldn’t be ignored.

“What is the name we should use?” Shatter asked.

“Optimus.”

Shatter backed a few steps. Her amica tensed, their eyes glowing bright red.

It was more shock than readiness to fight, Optimus realized. He forced the battle protocols, that started to activate, shut down. Those two were Decepticons, but there was something unusual about their reactions; and they did identify him as “Orion” at first. And they talked of parallel universe – the same new Cybertron came from. Optimus did not have much knowledge of this universe – most of what he knew was the information from the trial records. Megatron was indeed a hero for the mecha who fought the Functionist regime there, but as far as Optimus knew, he didn’t try to introduce them to the Decepticon ideology. Quite the contrary: once Megatron abandoned his philosophy, he never returned to it.

And yet those two had brand new Decepticon insignia on their plating.

Shatter shook her head.

“I… I had no idea…”

“I suppose you didn’t” Optimus agreed.

“We have heard of you,” Dropkick said. They frowned, their optics narrowed into two narrow slits “It’s a surprise. Soundwave should have told us.”

“Soundwave is busy and we had just arrived.” Shatter said. “And this is nothing that could threaten our mission, right?”

“You never know this” Dropkick protested. “We should be informed. He said he is not a friend, Shatter. I wouldn’t trust him.”

“If not him, then we should trust Soundwave. Forgive us” Shatter said again. “We weren't expecting this. We had no idea, that you and Orion…”

That he and Orion what?

They were not the same person, Orion of the parallel universe having at least four million years of different experience, never receiving the Matrix, fighting a different enemy, making different choices and alliances: all the defining moments of Optimus’ life nonexistent.

“He and I are probably very different mecha,” he said. “But I’d like to learn something about Orion you knew. I was not aware of his existence – neither did I think I would meet someone from the parallel universe. I know little of the place you come from. Could we talk?”

Dropkick’s glance was suspicious, but Shatter nodded and smiled.

“Come with us then” she offered.

Optimus followed them. Shatter navigated the station as if she already had been here many times.

They entered a large room, less damaged than most of the station. Part of someone’s quarters or maybe a room where the mecha living on the station could meet and relax together. There was a big screen on one wall, large couch, cupboard for energon blends and containers, a window, showing the panorama of Earth below.

“Dropkick, fetch us some highgrade.” Shatter said, as they sat on the couch.

“Just regular energon” Optimus said.

“All right. Highgrade for us, regular for… Optimus. I didn’t expect to ever meet you.” she said, looking at him. “You were presumed dead.”

Optimus took place on the couch next to Shatter.

Dropkick approached with three glasses, gave one to Optimus and sat behind their amica.

“Apparently staying dead is not something I’m good at.” Optimus wanted it to sound like a joke – it came out more tired and bitter than he wanted it to.

“From what I heard of you, you would be the last person helping us” Shatter continued. “I’m sorry for our suspiciousness, but we have our reasons.”

“As you probably have reasons to wear this” Optimus pointed at freshly painted insignia on Shatter’s plating.

“This is new.”

“I noticed. You didn’t do it in your universe.”

Shatter looked straight into his eyes.

“I’ve never seen this symbol until we came here. You know which symbol I’ve seen? This one” Now it was Shatter pointing at his shoulder guard. “Funny thing, what happened, I meet a mech wearing this, a mech who gives me hope, who helps me regain my dignity, shows me how to fight against the regime that despised me and seen me as not much better than a pile of scrap. He changes the course of our war, he leads us from one victory to another, he gives us hope. And then, we are here. And suddenly it turns out” Shatter sipped her highgrade and her face frowned “that the same person we had seen as our hero is some kind of villain that needs to be punished for the greater good for the galaxy and nothing that we say cannot change this. That the symbol he wears is the symbol of his enemies, who are now more than happy to testify against him and want to see him dead. And when I defend him, when I try to explain, they see me as some kind of a monster. They call me a Decepticon? So I can very well be one!”

“Like you had any idea what being a Decepticon meant” Optimus pointed out, feeling anger rising deep inside him.

Shatter’s eyes narrowed, as did her amica’s before.

“Like you knew it. Have you ever read Megatron’s works? Have you made any attempt to understand them?”

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I did, long before I became the person I am now.”

“So you should know what his philosophy was.”

“Philosophy he rejected.”

Shatter laughed.

“And you had fallen for it or you are so blinded by the power and privilege that you didn’t see the truth.”

Optimus noticed that he squeezed his glass so hard it started to crack.

“Now you are blinded by what they told you about me. I know Megatron, I know how he thinks and I know when he is lying.”

“You claim to know him, but you somehow forgot what he believed in the most.”

The glass cracked and purple streams flowed on Optimus’ fingers.

How dared this mech from another universe claim to know Megatron better!

“You claim,” he said, feeling his dentae gritting “that Megatron had faked his change.”

“The only thing I claim” Shatter answered, getting up slowly, not menacing, not yet but her stance showing she was not the one to threaten easily “Is that you probably had forgotten what had Megatron stood for at the very beginning. That you had forgotten what the Decepticon philosophy means at its core. That you choose to forget it. Maybe Dropkick is right. Maybe you cannot be trusted. I don’t know why Soundwave wants your help. You are right – you are not Orion I knew. And I don’t understand why did Megatron allow Orion to be so close to him. Hopefully, I’ll be able to ask him soon, but you…” she paused and looked Optimus straight into the optics, unafraid “I might trust Soundwave, but I don’t trust you. Betray us, and we will tear your wires out, Dropkick and me. We are Decepticons now, after all.”

Her amica smiled and this was not a friendly smile. Like tearing Optimus’ wires out was something they dreamed of.

They both left, leaving Optimus alone with the view and spilled energon.

***

Soundwave observed Shatter’s return. She had sent him the reports before, list of the mecha she contacted and the evaluation. Her insight and the way she had seen other mecha was interesting: the way she looked at the surrounding world was unique, very different from what Soundwave knew from both Autobots and Decepticons. She saw details he did not - it was a little annoying for someone who took pride of being observant, but in the end, Soundwave was aware his processor was working in the set of parameters created by previous experience. Coming from a different background, Shatter saw different things.

She was charismatic and smart. Creative. Supportive, at least towards her amica. Dropkick, not stupid themselves, was a bit overshadowed by Shatter, but maybe for the best: they were impetuous and had a tendency to act before thinking. Shatter was their common sense.

Soundwave first noticed Shatter at the trial recordings. She was passionate and genuine in her attempts to defend Megatron. Soundwave contacted her in the hope she will help him. He was not disappointed by now.

And now she stormed his office, EM field flaring with anger so evident’ that Soundwave didn’t even need his abilities to read her.

So, meeting Optimus turned out to be more important than the report.

“What is this slag?!” she shouted. “Who are you bringing with us? Why!?”

“We told you,” Buzzsaw said. “Frenzy should have ended Prime’s life when he could do it.”

Soundwave silenced him with the wave of his hand.

“What happened?” he asked Shatter.

She told him of the discussion she and Optimus had.

“He is the enemy and he told it to me outright! He had no interest in helping Megatron! He hates him and he hates you!”

Soundwave smiled under his mask.

Shatter’s anger was amusing as was the fact that she apparently did everything to provoke Optimus into confirming her fears. If she was forged in this universe and participated in the civil war – what a good Decepticon she would make! But now her mistrust was not needed.

“Shatter: sit down.”

“Explain” she demanded. “He looks like one mech from our Universe, someone we had trusted, someone Megatron trusted – with his spark! And he admits being the same person, in a way, but they are not the same! How can I trust someone who had fought against Megatron all his life? How can you trust someone who was your enemy all your lives?”

“Shatter: has selective knowledge.”

“Yes,” she admitted. “I might have selective knowledge. Explain.”

“In the end, we fought together against Unicron, Optimus and I. We might have been enemies, but we were able to unite against something that endangered us all. We both put the differences aside and I am not interested in the return to the old war: neither is he. And neither is Megatron, I assure you.”

Shatter snickered.

“Optimus still can sabotage the operation. He might have no interest in fighting you, but neither he has in actually helping.”

“He is conflicted. This I can assure you. He has doubts whether he should help – but at the same time, he considers it. Your presence was part of the plan. You can help him make his mind.”

“For now I only made him angry.”

“You made him think. And he will take his time to consider your words. He is angry because he knows what you had told him is the truth.”

Shatter frowned and folded her arms on her chest.

“It is. If you think it could work for him, the better. I’d love to see Orion in him” she admitted. “Megatron trusted Orion.”

Soundwave nodded.

Yet another thing he took seriously into consideration. He knew little about this alternate universe, Orion, about his relationship with Megatron, but if Megatron was ready to trust someone who looked like his enemy, it meant something.

“Well,” Shatter said. “The only thing I care about, are our results. Now, I expect you wanting to know mine.”

She might be worried about Optimus’ presence – more about the fact that she wasn’t warned, Soundwave expected – but she was doing her job.

“I managed to recruit one more group. Don’t like them. Reckless, motivated, yes. Cruel. Worked with Deathsaurus before.” She grimaced “I don’t know if I admire this guy or despise him more. But his former subordinates have no reason to like the Council. In fact, Council hunted them already. They just wait to kick back, Megatron might be just an excuse for them” she smirked. „Their loss. They will get what they want anyway. Piracy is a waste of their talent.”

„Status on Operation: Network.”

„Hubcap is a stubborn aft, this I tell you. If I was able to say it’s you who want this...”

„Not acceptable.”

„I understand, fully. I know what I agreed to… Hubcap want’s more shanix, but I’ll try to persuade him farther. Dropkick was really convincing, as they turned that organic thing he hired as a bodyguard into a wet stain.” Shatter smiled with cruel satisfaction and Soundwave again though, how good she and her amica fitted the Decepticons. There was anger in both of them, the anger of this kind, that can be easily forged into cruelty.

He saw so many mecha like them: humiliated by the system they lived in, they took the revenge easily, found joy in killing everyone who stood in the way of obtaining the freedom – and then just everyone who stood in their way. Many of them were as smart as Shatter was. And this did not prevent corruption of the movement, because at one point there was no return.

“We also talked to Lockdown” Shatter continued. “I trust him more than anyone of this bunch. He has a sort of honor. He actually offered us a job. I declined, but maybe in the future… But yes, Lockdown will do. And they both have enough contacts on the station to get you this trip outside.”

***

This place was not a place for him. Mecha here were not his friends; some of them bordered even on hostile. Soundwave might have been trustworthy – his actions during Unicron’s attack spoke for him better than anything else – but he was enemy in the past. Would it be reasonable to listen to him now? To believe his declarations? And what about those two mecha with fresh markings on their armor? What about Shatter’s aggressive stance, her eyes narrowed, her provocations and her declaration of killing Optimus if she ever believes him threatening the mission?

But then, her words had hit him hard. It was not her declaration of killing him that hurt the most, neither the purple paint on her armour: it was what she said about him choosing to forget, because indeed, it was easier that way, to ignore whose writings opened his eyes millennia ago.

Only he never had been really able to ignore this.

And there was this one thing, that hit him even harder: that before Shatter started provoking and threatening him, she greeted him as a friend. There was an Orion Pax in the parallel universe, who fought against Functionist regime – and was killed during this fight. It was not surprising that he and Megatron became allies in this fight – but what Shatter mentioned about them being friends. “Being close”, Shatter said. She could have meant so many things by this.

Maybe she said this to farther provoke him? But her joy at the first sight of him was genuine.

What had Megatron done, when he met a mech looking like his archnemesis? How did their acquaintance develop, with the other Orion Pax unaware of who Megatron was? Did Megatron lie? Did he present himself in a way that made Orion trust him? There was something scary about this thought.

The only person who knew what had actually happened was Megatron. And the only way to ask him was to follow Soundwave’s plan.

Oh, this was so very clever on Soundwave’s side, to bring in someone who knew the other Orion. Optimus wouldn’t say that he didn’t admire this move. He also couldn’t say that it didn’t work.

This was the worst part of it.

He was left alone, again, on a station that was almost empty and damaged. An unfamiliar, uncomfortable place.

What Optimus could do was to explore and see what possibilities he had – of a fight, of an escape, if he needed to.

What was interesting, was the fact that he could move around the station unbothered. He didn’t have any problems getting to the hangar bay.

There were two larger ships and one shuttle standing there: none of them seemed to be sentient. One must have belonged to Shatter and her amica, the other two just waited for someone to use them. No one had guarded them and Optimus thought that it was just too easy: to board the shuttle and leave. He would probably need some codes to open the bay, but taking the ship and using its guns to make a breach seemed like a very good idea.

He stood there for a while, contemplating this possibility.

“I know what you are thinking” he heard a voice coming from above him.

As he looked up, Optimus saw one of Soundwave's winged symbionts. Buzzsaw cocked his head, his eyes glowed with amusement.

“Soundwave knows what you are thinking. Go on. No one will stop you. I will provide you with the codes if you want to. Soundwave said that if you want to go, you can do it. He didn’t say we cannot chase and kill you then.”

Optimus came closer and looked straight into Buzzsaw’s eyes.

“You think you can threaten me?” he asked.

“It was worth trying” Buzzsaw shrugged. “Old habits die hard. But yes, you can go. Ask Soundwave if you don’t believe me. But I think it would be a sad waste of resources.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“You’re welcome.”

Optimus didn’t suspect Buzzsaw of lying. Soundwave knew keeping Optimus by force wouldn’t be successful. He didn’t want someone who would turn his back, who would endanger his plan. He wanted someone who WANTED to help.

This was unsettling: the thought that Soundwave not only hoped for Optimus help but also expected his hopes were not in vain.

And the worst thing was they probably weren’t.

There were just too many things, probably orchestrated by Soundwave, but true enough: Rodimus’ fierce defense, Ratchet’s more balanced testimony, then Shatter’s words, the passion in her eyes, the accusation she threw at him, the things she mentioned about Orion.

Megatron’s face, fear in his eyes. Had he ever saw Megatron so afraid? No, never. Even in the face of his death Megatron always was proud and taunting. Destruction of spark was nothing to him – but imprisonment…

No. No one should be left like this.

In the end, Soundwave was right: Optimus was going to help. There were just too many reasons for him to do it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I forgot to include it in the last chapter: The story (the entire series, actually) has a playlist! It can be found on Spotify ( https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4HyNdTtSThpZGIVoJanjjl?si=UxfqwaLsS3SalGBzO5XMiA ). I also recommend the entire Resist album by Within Temptation - it is the basis for this playlist. Shatter’s theme is Mad World from the said album.
> 
> Speaking of Shatter: I added background story for her, Choose Your Color, check it out. Writing Shatter and inventing a backstory for her and Dropkick was really fun.
> 
> Next week the last important character appears… well, there is still Megatron, but we won’t be seeing him for some chapters yet… But he is the reason of it all.
> 
> The artist behind the amazing picture in this chapter is The Awkward Enthusiast! Visit them on Tumblr ( https://theawkwardenthusiast.tumblr.com/ ) or Twitter ( https://twitter.com/itzenthusiasm ).
> 
> Thanks to snylilith for double-checking my language.
> 
> The author is feedback starved and appreciates comments.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Miko’s assignment – General Faireborn – How Miko stole a bike – Piercing blue eyes – Spies and drones

A large military vehicle passed the entrance to the base. The young woman sitting inside tried to keep a professional appearance, although she felt as if her heart was to burst out of her chest. She was excited – and nervous at the same time. She was picked for the task based on her results during her training, not on her field achievements: she had none, too young - oh, the irony - to participate in the alien wars that had torn Earth apart during the recent years.

It always frustrated her. She was a teenager when the aliens came and always considered it an utter injustice that she wasn’t involved in those events. Many humans her age and even older, who grew up watching cartoons and reading comics, probably thought the same. Aliens were cool, even if they were dangerous, so why wouldn’t many kids and adults dream of hanging with cool aliens?

Miko was among them, her dream unfulfilled.

But she lived in a changed world now. She survived an apocalypse when a gigantic extraterrestrial being tried to destroy her planet. She lived in a world where the Sun had now its dark twin, where alien exiles lived among her own species and where humans were invited to negotiate their membership in the Galactic Council – a space NATO of sorts. And Miko was chosen as one of the people, who would accompany the diplomats during those negotiations.

Could she ever be more excited?

Granted, she was a mere cadet, young and inexperienced and no one would expect from her anything else than following general Marissa Faireborn, who had lead the mission. Miko had to make a proper impression and be ready to defend the general, although Marissa Faireborn probably would do better defending herself. But since diplomats needed to have their guards, the general decided that at least one of them will be inexperienced, but a promising young soldier. For Miko the most important thing about this was that the mission meant leaving earth, going to space and seeing more aliens than she had seen her entire previous life.

Of course, Miko’s imagination already suggested that there was something bound to happen during the mission. Miko’s reason, on the other hand, was saying that everything was going to be as usual: nothing out of ordinary, no epic adventures.

Although…  Wasn’t visiting a gigantic space station populated by thousands of aliens of countless species an epic adventure of it's own?

The vehicle stopped. Miko got off it, looking around. The base looked familiar – maybe a little makeshift, because after the destruction of this cosmic evil everything was a little makeshift – but it also had a road leading to a small spaceport. Miko could see it from here; and the white and silver flashes behind the trees should be the port itself and a spaceship. A spaceship she was going to board very soon.

She tried to hide her excitement, but her superior, colonel Kueppers, noticed this anyway.

“Soon, cadet,” he told her.

“You can see it, sir?” she asked, a little embarrassed.

“If that makes you feel better, cadet, your impatience is understandable. I’d be happy to go too.”

“You would be a good choice,” she pointed out. “You have actual experience.”

He laughed.

“I was requested to choose from among most promising young people under my command. You deserve your share of adventure too, cadet. And don’t be ashamed of seeing it as an adventure. There is nothing wrong in that.”

Miko nodded.

“Of course, sir.”

“Now, let’s go to the general.”

General Faireborn was waiting for them, already informed of their arrival. Miko held her breath, seeing this already legendary woman rising from behind her desk as they came in. The General was a woman in her thirties; as far as Miko remembered, she joined the military when she was not much older than Miko was right now. She quickly became an EDC commander, navigating uneasy alliances in order to protect Earth from the outside threat. She was the first-ever ambassador to alien planets Earth ever had and actively fought against the ancient evil that tried to destroy Earth. Being chosen by her and meeting her in person was more than Miko could have ever expected.

The general extended her hand first to colonel Kueppers, then to Miko.

“Cadet Nakadai. I’m happy to have you. May I say your files are quite impressive...”

Miko sat down when allowed. Her body felt stiff and heavy, her throat dry. General Faireborn was impressed with her! No, this, this was more than…

No. This was a lot, but not more than going to space and see aliens. And if she continued to impress the general, maybe Miko would earn Marissa’s trust enough, to be chosen for some special mission.

“I feel honored, ma’am,” Miko said. “I’m trying to do my best.”

“I saw your notes from the academy. There were better people than you, but as far as your evaluation shows, you exceed in other fields. According to your psychological profile, you have a lot of courage, you are good at dealing with stressful situations...” the general smiled, first looking at the files, then rising her head to look at Miko’s face. “Although I believe meeting me must be a different kind of stress. Relax, cadet. I don’t bite.”

“Of course, ma’am,” Miko managed to say.

She cursed in her head. She was usually bolder than that.

“Care to answer some questions, cadet?” the general asked. “Colonel, would you leave us?”

The man nodded and left. Miko looked at the general awaiting the questions.

“I need some additional opinions from you. This will help me to determine your tasks during our mission.”

Are some of these tasks classified, Miko wanted to ask, but she managed not to do it.

Her heart raced. Marissa Faireborn looked for someone who would assist her not only during the diplomatic mission but also in something probably more interesting.

The general looked into the files again.

“During your studies at the military academy you participated in lectures and presentations by Colonel Leland Bishop, is that right? What do you think of the subject he shared with you?”

Miko frowned.

She always believed colonel Bishop was creepy. He had a face of cartoon villain, she explained to her best friend. He almost never smiled and when he did, there was something cruel about it. He was a xenophobe, which was not so unusual among both teachers and students at the academy, but his xenophobia was anything but open.

She remembered the presentation, that left a lasting impression on her – and many other students. They were taken to an underground part of the base and there, in a big hall, was lying, from the lack of better terms, a corpse.

It was gray and stripped of insignia, that could indicate which Cybertronian faction it belonged to when it was alive. It was just lying there, motionless, and it was the first – and only – time Miko saw an alien so close.

A dead alien.

Colonel Bishop spoke of it without much emotion, but Miko was able to guess it makes him both disgusted and fascinated. And yes, he used the “it” pronoun, although Miko believed, singular “they” would probably be better.

No one, though, had any idea what pronouns the dead Cybertronian used while still alive.

Colonel Bishop explained everything about the anatomy of a Transformer. He ordered his subordinates to stimulate the corpse with electricity – Miko remembered the distinct sound and moving components, for a few minutes forming the vehicle mode, before returning to a lifeless robot form.

Colonel Bishop stated he had opportunities to dissect several Cybertronians, in order to, as he said, learn how to work so that humans knew both how to kill them and how to use their parts for their own technology.

Miko doubted if this was legal: the war was over now, humans and Cybertronians worked together. Yet people like Leland Bishop were allowed to experiment on dead allies… why?

“It was… interesting,” Miko said. “I learned a lot, although I have doubts when it comes to the ethical questions… But in the end colonel Bishop does what he believes is best for humankind, doesn’t he? Although I believe it would be better if such research was made in agreement with Cybertronians themselves. Keeping corpses of any sentient species...”

“Many humans doubt Cybertronians are sentient,” Marissa Faireborn pointed out.

“Because they are machines, I know. But didn’t they prove otherwise? Nonsentient machines wouldn’t behave as they do.”

The general nodded, she looked into the papers again.

“Is it possible that your opinion on this is due to the influence of Sari Sumdac?”

“Sari is my best friend, ma’am, and yes, we discussed this issue a lot. I am aware her father worked for several companies and institutions who tried to understand Cybertronian technology and adapt it for human use, I am also aware he had worked on artificial intelligence before the first contact. I have no idea why my friendship with his daughter is to be called “influence”. Do you think I would have other opinions if I never met Sari? Do you think my opinions are wrong?”

Marissa Faireborn smiled again.

“Quite the contrary, cadet Nakadai. I agree with you: thinking of Cybertronians as of nonsentient machines is a huge mistake. Yet there still are people who make it. I’m glad you are not among them. And when it comes to the ethical aspect of experiments of people such as colonel Leland Bishop… I am aware of the implications, but I am also aware, that under certain circumstances those experiments could save us.”

“I understand, ma'am,” Miko said.

Was she answering questions right? She had no idea.

“As a teenager, you stole a bike from one of your school colleagues, didn’t you?”

Miko sighted. She didn’t expect to be asked about that.

“He wasn’t really a colleague. Ha was like, two years older? He left this bike alone and I wanted to explore the desert around the town, so I took it. It was a mistake.”

“Explore, you said?” Marissa Faireborn smiled again.

“There was nothing interesting in the town. I was bored. I went to the USA in the hope something interesting happens, and got stuck somewhere in Nevada… On the desert, I could at least pretend I’m exploring alien planets.” Miko explained. “I shouldn’t have stolen the bike though.”

When she returned the bike, it was damaged and the owner saw Miko. She had to pay for repairs, but this was not the worst part. The worst part was that the school bullies, who really disliked that boy, thought what Miko did was a great prank. Miko, in turn, told them what she thought of them. They didn’t like her after that. Maybe she should ally with the boy she stole the bike from, but he was a terribly boring person and Miko believed she was better than both him and the bullies.

She was horrible when she was a teenager.

“I guess exploration is something that interests you still, cadet,” the general said. “Did you find something interesting there in the desert?”

“No,” Miko lied.

What she had found them was of no importance actually… but it was hers: her hiding place and her dream. Why should she tell that to the general?

“Well, what matters here, is that you both have the initiative to undertake risky actions and are ready to bear the consequences if necessary. Good,” she smiled, pleased. “That is all for now, cadet Nakadai. Thank you again and welcome on the team.”

She rose and shook Miko’s hand.

Outside colonel Kueppers waited. On the other side of the corridor, Miko saw another man waiting. As Miko left, he entered the general’s office. When he passed by Miko, she took a look at his dark face and noticed his eyes, unusual for people of his skin color: blue. He looked at her and she shivered because she had a feeling those eyes looked deep into her – really deep.

She saw the man again in the evening. All participants of the mission met in a base's mesa, using the meal as an opportunity to get to know each other. Miko was one of the youngest participants and she definitely had the lowest rank around, others close to her in rank being lieutenants at best. It was a bit awkward but also showed how favored Miko was. Colonel Kueppers could choose someone who already finished the academy – but he chose her.

While making introductions she wondered if the others had talks with the general similar to the one she had. Probably yes - Marissa Faireborn was trying to learn something more about people around her.

Thinking of the general Miko noticed the man who entered the office after her. He was not the only black person in the mesa, and most men in the military shaved their heads for practical reasons, but she recognized immediately those bright eyes.

The man kept his distance from the others. He would introduce himself, smile, and walk away, keeping a half-empty cup in his hand as he looked around. Then there was the moment he and Miko were at the same place and they introduced each other and shook hands. Miko learned the man was major Oluwasegun Pretorius. His fingers were cold.

***

Miko spent some time mingling, but her curiosity of the base was bigger than her curiosity of people – or maybe she was simply tired of so many new people. Not that she disliked fellow human beings, but she had her capacities, as she used to say. Sometimes she needed some time for herself and apparently today was one of those days.

She went out. The air was cool and the base seemed calm and silent, so very unlike the places she has been during her training. This base was situated in the wilderness, and before recently it’s location was classified. Now there was no point to hide it anymore since the newly built spaceship was to be used for the diplomatic mission.

Moon was bright this night, but after the changes that came a few years ago, the moon always looked different than the one Miko recalled from her early childhood: it seemed to be bigger and brighter than it used to be. Everything was bigger since she rode the desert roads on the stolen bike, fantasizing of alien planets. There were aliens on Earth and humans in space now.

There were also things out there, watching, lurking in the darkness. The universe was a big, scary place even before humanity learned about this fact and met their first aliens. And of course, there were many, many more alien races than the transforming space robots, so… Miko reasoned it was just a matter of time before some of those races would come as colonizers. Because, hello, humans had done it to their own species - so why wouldn’t the other species do it to each other?

Just around, on Earth orbit, there was a space station, badly damaged this few years ago, but still existing and functioning. It belonged to the Decepticon named Soundwave, who was once, as far as Miko recalled, a master spy for his faction. He probably still had his network of spies among Cybertronians, and how come that both the current government of his species and humans tolerated this station on the orbit was beyond Miko’s comprehension.

But after all, he was just one of many dangers lurking out there – and there must have been worse things in the universe than just Cybertronians.

Miko was not sure if she was more scared or excited to get closer to them.

For now, she got to explore the base. She went farther. It was not the most reasonable thing to do, but she was still in the area of the base, she didn’t enter any restricted area, nor encountered the guards. She just wanted to get closer to the spaceship and take a look at it. Soon she will be on board anyway.

Something rustled in the bushes. Miko froze. An animal, she thought, but approached cautiously, with her hand near the gun.

She approached as silently as possible.

Suddenly a small metallic object burst out, jumping high on its long legs. Dark surfaces glistened in the light of Miko’s flashlight, and one eye – lens? - blinked at the her.

Long legs retracted, and a metallic sphere whirred in the air, ready to depart.

This was not a human tech, not something used to monitor the base area.

Mico reacted instantly. She took the gun out and pulled the trigger.

She missed. The drone rose in the air, the engines whirring louder, lens blinking, trying to capture the last images before departure.

“Oh no, you don’t,” Miko muttered, preparing to shoot again.

She didn’t make it. She heard more rustle and then a shot – and then the drone fell on the ground, still active, although damaged.

Miko didn’t hesitate. She put another bullet straight in the drone’s lens. The mechanism spasmed, throwing sparks around and then stopped moving.

“Good job,” the man who shot the drone first said.

“I should destroy it with the first one” Miko answered, disappointed with her own performance.

The man put his hand on her shoulder. For a moment Miko froze, ready to throw him down, but then she recognized the touch as not menacing and relaxed.

It was the man from before, major Oluwasegun Pretorius. He looked at her with approval in his blue eyes - not like someone who would draw consequences out of her ignorance.

“You are still inexperienced,” he said. “And you had the right instincts,” he assured her. “You did well.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“We need to take it with us,” major Pretorius said, pointing at the damaged drone. “It needs to be examined.”

“It doesn’t look like one of ours. Is it Cybertronian?” she asked.

“It seems so.”

Miko shivered. She looked up, towards the station she was thinking about before.

“So he really has his spies everywhere...” she muttered.

“Who?” the man asked.

“Soundwave.”

Major Pretorius looked utterly surprised.

“Why Soundwave?”

“He was the Decepticon spymaster, sir. He watched everything. And he is up there,” she pointed at the sky. “Excuse me, sir,” she added swiftly. “This was not a speculation, just a thought. I had just recalled someone like him existed, and then this appeared, so my mind combined both of them… But I don’t have enough knowledge to be sure it’s his.”

“Of course. The examination will determine, who sent the drone. Or if it even is Cybertronian.”

In a few minutes, the drone lay on Marissa Faireborn’s desk. The general walked around her desk taking a long look. The lens was broken, cables sticking out of fractured plating. Marissa Faireborn frowned.

“This indeed looks Cybertronian… Not that I didn’t expect some of them trying to spy on us. Thank you,” she looked at both Miko and the major. “This is important.”

Miko looked at the general impatiently. She had questions, so many of them. Marissa Faireborn noticed the unvoiced question in her eyes.

“Yes, cadet?”

“M’am, if I may ask: Is there any reason Cybertronians would take an interest in our mission?”

The general was silent for a moment, her eyes wandered between Miko and major Pretorius. She looked like she was thinking about something intensely.

“We all know that if the Earth was to join the Council,” she said “it would damage our alliance with Cybertron. The negotiations will be hard because we cannot allow that alliance to be broken… But we don’t want to be isolated because of it, and that’s what is happening now.”

“The Council would try to break the Earth-Cybertronian alliance and isolate Cybertron,” the major said.

“It’s possible. Should we be surprised? The council mistrusts Cybertronians… And there is a reason for this.”

“They brought their war to Earth,” Miko agreed. “And to countless other planets. Of course, they can not be trusted.”

This was what Miko had heard too many times. Some of the alien robots might have been friendly, but in the end, many humans believed Earth would be safer if they never had come. Hell, the first official footage of them was a Decepticon attack on a big city. And while some people – Miko among them – could have been fascinated, more were just scared. You will never fully trust someone who brings their war to your soil.

On the other hand, not only humans mistrusted Cybertronians. The Galactic Council seemed to almost hate them – actually, the Council approached with suspicion all the mechanoid races, most of them being known for excessive violence toward each other and organic races alike. That, Miko believed, was just propaganda. Organic races were cruel and prejudiced against each other as well, and thinking of mechanoids as of machines was quite common amongst them – not to search far, Leland Bishop was almost fanatic in his hatred. Miko never learned what happened to him that caused it – but she also had known many people didn’t really need reasons to hate others. That was how racism and other prejudices worked. She discussed this with Sari many, many times – as often as they discussed the problem of the sentience of mechanoids.

“With Optimus Prime dead and Megatron imprisoned, the war is truly over,” Oluwasegun Pretorius remarked.

General Faireborn sighted.

“That’s what we all hope for. But still, this…” – she pointed at the damaged drone. “It was sent by someone. We need to identify this someone and not allow them to spy on us any longer. Well,” – she looked at both Miko and the man. “Thank you for this. It won’t be forgotten.”

They left the office.

Miko still had questions, maybe not to major Pretorius, but he was the only other person around and, despite being of higher rank than her, he looked like someone whom she could approach. She barely knew him, but there was something about him making Miko want to trust him.

Such people – she reminded herself – could be dangerous. Charisma was a double-sided blade. And in the military, it was too easy to follow orders of charismatic people above you.

Yet Oluwasegun Pretorius’ rank was major - with general Faireborn above him.

No, nothing was wrong. It was Miko who was stressed and tired and bored and she imagined things like when she was a child and aliens were something that existed only in science fiction stories. And now she was going to finally meet actual aliens – she fought an alien drone! - and she discovered she was nervous and a little scared.

It was perfectly understandable that she was a little scared.

“Thank you again for helping me, sir,” she said.

Oluwasegun Pretorius smiled. It was not a wide smile, but very comforting.

“I did what I had to. But you would do this yourself. You are a brave and skilled soldier, cadet.”

She returned to the barracks alone. She went slowly, looking around, just in case another drone appeared, but if there were any spies in the base, they were better at hiding. She slept, and her dreams were full of distant stars and dangers lurking in the darkness, but they were exciting, not scary – they were exactly as they should be.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Many thanks to the people from the Big Bang discord server for helping with coming up with the name Oluwasegun Pretorius. I really consider it one of the most epic name-surname combinations I ever used. Chcek the name and surname meaning on Behind the Name! Someone (Soundwave) has sense of humor here!
> 
> Miko’s theme is Face my Fears by Hikaru Utada. English version for this chapter. Also, Miko has her background story, Before They Came, published.
> 
> The author appriceates comments.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Infiltration 101 – How to create a human persona? - Deception is always a good tactic

“Infiltration necessary,” Soundwave said.

The table in the middle of the room projected holographic plan of the moon-sized space station in the Citrix system, the one Galactic Council used as their base of operations and meeting point. This was the center of Council’s space, a neutral ground for all species that wanted to trade and negotiate.

If Cybertron was ever at war with the Council, the Citrix station would be the main target. But they never were, and by now even the Decepticons didn’t try to attack.

The council members had their quarters here and there was the chamber of meetings Optimus had seen before only on vids and holographic transmission. There were many embassies on the station, including recently established Cybertronian one – Optimus wasn’t surprised, that it was Bumblebee, who was chosen to represent their planet to the Council. There were docks and headquarters for peacekeeping forces. There were countless living quarters, recreational spots and markets for many, many sentient organics, whose species belonged to the council.

There was no prison there. Optimus, who was a cop before the war, had some ideas on how the peacekeeping forces and station security functioned, so he expected there would be temporary cells for captured or transferred criminals. But neither of them would be a good place for a special prisoner.

The Council had their own prison on an asteroid in the Doruka system. According to Soundwave and recordings from the trial, there was also a concept to imprison Megatron in Garrus-10 - yet the council wanted him isolated completely. They wanted to have their eyes on the warlord, to have him in the most secure place they could ever imagine.

This was lots of risk, Optimus thought, his processor bringing him images of the enraged, mad Decepticon leader, who managed to get free, killing every living being in his way. This was a horrible image Optimus would hope never to see, for very many reasons.

Thinking of it was what made him believe it was not an entirely bad idea to follow Soundwave’s plan.

“Where do they keep him?” Optimus asked.

“They wanted to separate his Spark and seal it,” Shatter said with disgust. “There are rumors they still consider doing it. But for now, if our information is correct, they wired him to one of the reactors inside the station.” She let out an angry growl.

In her eyes, Optimus though, Megatron doesn’t deserve any of this. The mech who gave her back her dignity…

“We are still trying to determine exact place,” Soundwave added.

Some of the areas of the station on the plan were depicted with great details, but some, as Optimus noted, were blank or almost blank. Those were, among others, the areas containing the crucial systems of the station.

“You have no idea how it looks from the inside, do you?” Optimus asked.

“Citrix Station: the most guarded place in the universe. Megatron: the only Cybertronian, who had seen these parts of the station. Rumble is infiltrating the station technicians, but for now, he was unable to find the exact place”.

That, Optimus had to admit, sounded alarming.

The only member of their race who has ever entered the prison was the person they wanted to set free. And, since there was no contact, no updates on Megatron’s status, he could be already dead. As Shatter said: the Council considered many options and chose one over the others, but nothing was sure. Megatron could be held somewhere entirely else, his frame and brain module, including the main processor, could be destroyed, his spark sealed away, stripped of memories and personality, but in itself too powerful to allow it to become part of a new person.

He should be dead, Optimus thought, not the first time since he agreed to Soundwave’s terms, probably not the last. He should be dead, all of these should be over, once and for all. And Optimus should be dead as well, and not helping to free his worst enemy, who, once free again, would probably start the war anew – or at least would be used by Soundwave and the other remaining Decepticons.

And, again, he thought of Rodimus’ devastated expression. Of Ratchets more calm words, but still surprisingly favorable. Could he fail the mecha he had personally sent on this desperate quest, whom he had given Megatron as a captain? Many of them were his friends.

He wanted to speak with them. With Rodimus, with Ratchet, with Ultra Magnus – whom, as it turned out, Optimus didn’t really know, but the mech who wore Magnus Armor surely was reasonable. He wished to speak with anyone that wasn’t a Decepticon, to anyone who could be his friend.

He looked at the hologram again, then at Soundwave.

“What is my role then?” he asked.

“Penetration of the object planned for multiple entries,” Soundwave said. He was cold and impersonal as always. “Stage one: acquire a layout of the reactor area and locate the prisoner. Stage two: take over the security system. Stage three: infiltrate.” While he was speaking of stage three, he turned his head towards Optimus. “Optimus: part of the infiltration team.”

“And how do you expect me to enter Citrix Station?” Optimus asked.

“A diplomatic mission from Earth scheduled for a meeting with the Council. Perfect opportunity to enter and to see places unreachable otherwise. The Autobot Holomatter Avatar technology provides the cover. Perfect for the task.”

Optimus really wanted to know how Soundwave had acquired this particular technology. Oh well, he seemed to have his ways.

Decepticons didn’t use holomatter avatars since they didn’t really care for the cover on earth. Autobots invented this technology primarily to project images of the drivers and it took lots of time and effort to make the avatars realistic enough for humans to not notice something was off at first sight. Still, Optimus doubted the technology was a good solution to the infiltration problem.

Then again, if anyone knew something about infiltration and espionage, it was Soundwave. During the war, he was one of the most feared opponents – besides Megatron himself – and often overlooked. Most of his plans that failed because of the impatience, treachery, and bloodlust of others Decepticons, but rarely because of Soundwave’s mistake.

It was possible that Soundwave was the main force holding the movement together. To a degree, he was more dangerous than Starscream, Shockwave, and even Megatron.

If anyone could succeed at this mission, it was indeed Soundwave. And that worried Optimus.

Other things worried him too.

“You expect me to use the avatar all the time,” Optimus said. He remembered the experience as highly uncomfortable, mainly when it demanded to divide attention between his own body and the avatar. It also demanded to change his perception of the world to that of another species. Prolonged pretending he was human? It was difficult for Optimus to even imagine that.

He wasn’t even sure if he had enough knowledge to behave like a human for such a long time. He usually looked at the organic species from afar, fascinated, protective, but distant. There must have been many details to human life he didn’t even know existed, yet alone could emulate. Starting with the prosaic act of consuming organic matter – the avatar, no matter, how advanced, wouldn’t be able to do this. Optimus would be discovered in a few days at best.

Soundwave thought otherwise.

“Optimus: suitable for the task. Lots of experience with humans. Autobot understanding of human culture: high. Decepticons: no regards for human behaviors”.

It was still not enough..

The task was hard and it turned out to be even harder when Soundwave opened the files, showing the human delegates chosen to go to Citrix Station.

Marissa Faireborn lead the mission.

It didn’t surprise Optimus at all. Smart, determined, she had experience with other races and always cared for the safety of her race. For Earth, she was the perfect candidate to defend its interests.

Not Cybertronian interests though, knowing how complicated was her relations with their race. She might have been an ally in the past, she might have had a Cybertronisn friends, but she never hid the fact, that the safety of her own species was most important for her. If the Council offered Earth safety and position in exchange for ending the alliance with Cybertron… Marissa could accept the offer. Of course, she was honorable in her way, and wouldn’t betray the alliance so easy, but she would at least consider the option.

But what was worse in the context of the mission was that she knew Optimus and, when they had last time seen each other, behaved not exactly friendly towards him. Being recognized by her would pose a risk for the mission success.

Would Marissa really be able to recognize a dead Cybertronian leader in an image of a human being? Would she be able to recognize that he was not one of her species?

“Optimus: has doubts,” Soundwave said.

He was looking at Optimus all the time and must have been well aware of what was his former enemy thinking.

“Of course I have. What you are planning is risky.”

“Optimus: already achieved impossible things,” Soundwave said.

Yes, but those impossible things demanded self-sacrifice and not prolonged pretending of being a being of so very different species. Humans were surprisingly much like Cybertronians in several areas – but the differences were enormous in the others. Impossible things didn’t demand to leave his own body in the hands of Decepticon master spy.

“I really have no choice, do I?” he asked.

Soundwave left this unanswered.

***

In the end, taking over human military database was an easy task. Soundwave had years and years to learn how to deal with primitive technology and although humans were quite capable when it came to developing defenses, he was still a few steps ahead of them. In the past, he used to take over some critical systems when it gave Decepticons the advantage. This was easy.

Creating a false identity was much more difficult and Soundwave was aware of this. But he was willing to take the risk – all the possible risks in fact. Besides, if the cover would be seen through, it wouldn’t be him who would be affected. This was a pleasant thought – Soundwave took some risk, yes, but he was still behind the lines, and it was the former Prime risking the most. Thinking of this made Soundwave pleased. He hoped Megatron would appreciate the irony, when he was free again.

Megatron would appreciate it, wouldn’t he? Because the mech Soundwave had seen on the recordings from the trial was still the leader Soundwave followed for millions of years, it was still Cybertron’s most brilliant philosopher, visionary and revolutionary. It was still the one who led them to battle, who promised them a glorious future and an everlasting peace. And Soundwave still believed in the words that once made him follow the cause, despite everything that happened, despite the corruption that affected all of them, despite the crimes some of them committed, despite Megatron’s words during his first trial.

Soundwave believed, but sometimes doubt crept: was Megatron still the same person?

Soundwave hadn’t met his former master during the trial: he was healing his own massive injuries. He almost died fighting Unicron, his frame almost entirely destroyed. After he was operational again, the trial was over, the final verdict given, Megatron lost forever – or at least the Galactic Council and a fair share of Cybertronians hoped so.

So Soundwave woke up to learn the horrible fate of his leader he had no opportunity to meet, to talk to, to make promises that he would never ever allow Megatron to be executed or imprisoned.

If the final verdict was death, what would Soundwave do? He had no idea: he knew though that fate left him with options and that he would use those. He had been loyal – yes, there was this moment of shock at Megatron’s defection, when he felt betrayed, but who wouldn’t be in his place? For four million years he had stood at Megatron’s side, not trying to seize power for himself: and now he intended to remain loyal, even if he was the last Decepticon who supported Megatron. Despite Megatron’s abandoning their philosophy, despite him wearing the Autobot badge, despite him agreeing to his fate instead of fighting.

Megatron might have changed, but for over four million years by his side Soundwave had already witnessed many shifts and changes – and he knew Megatron well; so, in the end, he was able to understand him: this was still the mech he followed, he was loyal to, he cared about.

So yes, Soundwave believed Megatron would appreciate the irony of Optimus no-longer-the-Prime helping to save him and taking the risk and being at Soundwave’s disposal.

But now he needed to build a suitable cover.

Creating a false human identity demanded taking many details into consideration. Soundwave browsed the military databases, downloading all available information on the personnel, creating algorithms that would allow him to prepare something unsuspicious and believable. Some regularities, taken from various profiles. Some irregular, unusual elements thrown in to make the forgery less obvious. Using one of the African countries as an origin place counted as one: United Earth Forces were largely dominated by people from Northern America, Europe, and Asia, despite the fact that countries like Nigeria had been developing their own space programs in the early twenty-first century. But the humans of northern hemisphere tended to disregard them and this gave Soundwave an advantage. It was easier to blend in a previously non-existing African soldier, that one of a different origin.

Then there were some elements added specifically to make major Oluwasegun Pretorius interesting for the purpose of the mission. He would also have to constantly monitor various systems to answer all the queries anyone – particularly Marissa Faireborn – could make about the man. And to keep Optimus informed of any potential problems.

Soundwave himself didn’t plan to take part in the infiltration – except for the situations it would be absolutely necessary. For those situations, he prepared several holographic models for himself, all of them designed to not attract attention, some based on existing personnel. If needed, he intended to use them, but it was Optimus who should do most of the work among humans.

Soundwave was surprised by the way the former Prime handled this. He expected more defiance – but Optimus, although he had no issues showing his doubts, obeyed without many protests. Soundwave was surprised.

He hoped from the start, of course, that the recordings from the trial will influence Optimus’ attitude, but in the end, the former Prime was not exactly what Soundwave expected him to be.

From the encounters on the battlefield, Soundwave remembered Optimus as a formidable opponent, one that could not be ignored. They had clashed very few times, as Soundwave had preferred staying on the back lines, rarely engaging into any battles at all, but he remembered from those few times how much power Optimus had. He also had a chance to fight on Optimus’ side, at the end, when they believed they would not survive. He also had many pieces of information from other sources, but in the end, the picture he had created in the past didn’t exactly match the person he had saved and then manipulated to take part in his plot.

Interactions were always different than the previously established set of expectations.

First of all, he had an impression that Optimus was resigned and broken.

In theory, this was something Soundwave could expect, considering the fact one the first thongs Optimus said after he was online again was “I should be dead”. But it was a new thing for Soundwave to see his enemy so tired – almost depressed even. And so compliant. Like some other, normal, unimportant mech.

“Optimus: what is thinking?”

The former Prime was looking at the screen, all the data flooding it, parts of it transferring directly to his own feed. The model was chosen for the avatar, taking all pitfalls and imperfections of the technology into consideration and trying to avoid them.

“It is… better than what we used.”

“Technology: perfected and developed. As many potential problems as possible taken into account.” He said, maybe allowing a little pride to be noticed in his voice. This was his accomplishment, and he had put a lot of effort into this. “Persona: is adequate?”

He tried to develop major Oluwasegun Pretorius so that his reported personality wasn’t too distant from Optimus’ own. This required a great insight and now Soundwave noticed a frown on Optimus’ face as he read the fabricated files.

“Data: incomplete,” Soundwave informed. “Individual complection: required to proceed. Immersion into character: desirable.”

Optimus nodded slowly.

“I see.”

“Too many details: not advised,” Soundwave added.

“Some things would be needed to adjust on the flight,” Optimus agreed. “I understand. This is some… impressive work.”

Soundwave only nodded as an answer.

The first meeting went well: major Pretorius managed to blend in, and a trick with a spy drone made Marissa Faireborn notice him. There was also the other human woman, a young soldier, that happen to notice the drone first. Even better. Her presence made the situation more believable – as did major Pretorius’ genuine surprise.

“This was yours,” Optimus stated, as the door closed behind his persona and he disconnected and opened his eyes to Soundwave monitoring the situation. He looked exhausted – prolonged connection to the avatar required a lot of concentration and was never done before to such degree.

“Affirmative.”

“Why? Doesn’t it turn their attention to your plan?”

“Human attention: drawn away from you and from the plan. Humans: feel watched and remain cautious. Marissa Faireborn: seeks for spies and is given what she needs.”

Optimus nodded.

“I see,” he said.

He had concerns and wasn’t even trying to hide it. Soundwave read it in his EM field; he didn’t have to resort to trying to read his deeper thoughts. The former Prime was full of doubt and stressed, and tired from prolonged concentration on the avatar.

“You watched?” he asked Soundwave.

“Affirmative.”

“Marissa was more suspicious of the drone than of me.”

“Affirmative. Marissa Faireborn: rereading the files of major Pretorius and cadet Nakadai.”

“So we had drawn her attention.”

“This was expected. Marissa Faireborn’s trust: needed to proceed.”

Optimus had no idea, how much Soundwave needed the trust and what he hoped to gain. But the fact that the human general was reading the files was promising. She was considering both Oluwasegun Pretorius and Miko Nakadai as candidates for the plan she was harboring.

The plan Soundwave intended to stop and use at the same time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not much to say. This chapter is more of a filler. The next two I really love.
> 
> I appriceate feedback!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marissa’s plan – Optimus has a BSOD – Miko wants to be a hero – The Citrix system

Miko spent a large portion of the travel with earphones on and looking outside the ship’s window. Not that the hyperspace was a particularly fascinating view, but it was still hyperspace and Miko hoped to catch the moment they would leave and she would see the destination – the distant Citrix system, center of Galactic Council’s political power. She didn’t want to miss the first glimpse of the alien territory.

She didn’t avoid other members of the crew, of course; but she was largely disappointed by them. One could expect the people chosen for such a mission would be as eager, as enthusiastic as she was. But they were mostly older than her, and seemingly interested more in following orders than having adventures. Some of them had weird ideas about humanity’s greatness and Miko felt alienated.

This was her high school times over again and she hated it.

So she kept interactions at the minimum and spent lots of time alone, listening to the music, reading old manga and writing letters she intended to send to Sari.

She noticed she wasn’t the only one spending so much time alone. The other person was Major Pretorius, and this was a little unsettling because Miko found herself searching for him every time she entered any common area. She could not stop herself from thinking they were somehow alike, which – obviously – could not be true. And yet Miko found herself watching the man closely.

He usually ate alone. When he talked to the others, he was calm and polite and abstained from giving orders to those with rank lower than his own, but when he interacted with those of higher rank – which meant mostly General Faireborn – he rarely received any orders. Miko wondered if this was because of some special status he had or because of something else.

In fiction, she decided, a man like Major Pretorius would be a secret agent on a secret mission, assigned by the government to perform a special task. Granted, he had nothing in common with the typical hero from old action movies. But he was mysterious and odd, and likable at the same time.

She, of course, analyzed her interest with the man, asking herself if, perhaps she was not attracted to him – but no, it wasn’t about that, men so much older than she were never attractive to her, and she was not a person who felt attraction easily. So no, she was interested in him for other reasons. But she didn’t act on this and if Major Pretorius noticed, he didn’t show it.

The next time they really had the opportunity to interact was short before the ship left hyperspace in the Citrix system. As Miko was called to general’s office, she didn’t expect to meet Major Pretorius just outside. He was going to enter the office as well.

Miko stopped. The man looked at her and a smile formed slowly on his face.

“Sir,” she said.

“Did the general requested to see you, cadet?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Then…” he showed the door.

The general awaited them, computer opened, datapads and paper files layered on the desk. Between them, Miko noticed some kind of a device. The general skipped formalities – just pointed two free seats to her visitors.

Miko waited for the major to be seated before she sat as well.

“What I am going to tell you is strictly confidential,” General Faireborn said. “And it should never leave the room. You were chosen for the special mission and I put my trust in you.”

Her eyes should glow now, Miko thought. She glanced at Major Pretorius, but the man remained unmoved, focused and calm. She looked at General Faireborn who smiled.

“I’ve read your files and watched you closely and I believe you are perfect for the task. I might not know you, but I trust the sources, and it would be easier to assign you than someone connected for me. The mission I have for you is an important one – but also a very dangerous one. But it’s a success will secure the future of Earth, of the human race, and of many planets and species.”

Major Pretorius nodded slowly. Miko found herself sitting on the edge of her chair from excitement, forcing herself to not ask too many questions. She was a trained soldier, but she felt the urge to behave like an excited teenager.

“I need you to kill Megatron,” General Faireborn said.

For a moment Miko thought she had misheard. Her brain tried to process what Marissa Faireborn just said and it took it some time.

After it finished, it unfortunately lost control on Miko’s mouth.

“WHAT?!” she shrieked.

The general only smiled.

“This is unexpected,” Major Pretorius said.

He remained calm, but his blue eyes were piercingly focused on the general.

“I know. And I understand your surprise. Let me explain the situation.”

“Of course, general,” Major Pretorius said.

Miko envied his calm. He looked like what General Faireborn said didn’t affect him at all.

But he was older, had more experience, probably in that kind of mission as well.

“Megatron is imprisoned by the Galactic Council. His prison is indeed located on the Citrix Station and is supposedly secure. But we know too well that the only way to get rid of the likes of him – permanently – is to kill them. The Galactic Council opted for imprisonment, not death: this was his mistake. I want to fix this mistake.”

“With all due respect, ma’am,” said Miko “How do you expect us to do it?”

Why, she was thinking, why me. And: Oh god, oh god yes! And: She wants me to assassinate somebody. How could I even…

General Faireborn pushed the device Miko had noticed before on her desk. Now they both could look at it closer.

“This was developed by our scientists, under the supervision of colonel Bishop, whom you already know, cadet,” she said. “Based on Cybertronian tech, of course, they have four millions more years of experience of killing one another, but the people working under Bishop are… let’s say, creative.” She frowned and Miko was not sure if she approved said creativity. She had no reservation in using it for sure. “This is set to the data that was provided to us by our Cybertronian allies, who had given us all the records of Megatron’s spark frequency. The device needs to be planted in a right spot – not necessarily in the cell itself, but in place with power lines connected to the cell. When activated, it initiates the overload causing Cybertronian Spark to explode. The result should be the entire obliteration of the Spark and destruction of the frame. In conclusion: the problem ceases to exist.”

Major Pretorius nodded slowly.

He was still calm, but his eyes focused on the device now.

”You said, this was developed by us, but the data was given by Cybertronians… May I ask, general, who provided the data? Do they know what is it going to be used for?”

“The data were gathered from various sources, including intel provided by Prowl and some of the former Decepticons, as well as colonel Bishop’s own sources and research. The construction of the device itself was held in secret from our Cybertronian allies – although many of them would support it. But this is entirely the initiative of Earth United Forces. We have some silent support from several forces inside council structures, but it is not official and confidential. Is this answer enough, major?”

“It is, general.”

“You will have to plant the device on the station hull and activate it. None of you comes in direct contact with the target. That would be impossible anyway.”

“And…” Miko said. Her heart was beating fast. “There is no going back, right?”

General Faireborn smiled.

“You can say ‘no” cadet. But if you say anything about the operation…”

Miko quickly shook her head.

“No, ma’am, I’m not going to abandon the operation. I’m going to do this, ma’am.”

“You don’t have to ask me, general,” the major said.

“I expected you to do the right thing,” General Faireborn answered. “Welcome to the mission. From now on we will not be discussing this task. The specification is here.” She pushed a flash drive across the table. “Read it only on devices disconnected from all networks, don’t copy the files, destroy the flash drive as soon as we reach Citrix Station. Do you understand?”

“Yes, ma’am!” Miko exclaimed, maybe too enthusiastically.

Major Pretorius only nodded.

“Understood, general.”

“Good. Good luck”

As they left the office, Miko needed to lean against the wall, to feel the cold metal against her forehead. Something inside her still didn’t believe what was happening. She looked at her unexpected partner. He took a deep breath.

“Major,” Miko said. “If I may, I’d like to discuss the situation with you.”

“It would be a good idea,” he agreed.

He was the one who took both the device and flash drive, the first one tucked inside a backpack, the second in his pocket. Miko envied his calm again: she had troubles hiding her excitement. How should she keep the operation secret, when her every movement gave out something was happening? She needed to cool down, adjust to the situation. Above all, she needed to discuss it and the only person she could do it with was Major Pretorius.

She followed him. The major’s quarters were small and weirdly empty. Not that the other participants of the mission had much of their belongings lying around, but Miko expected at least one personal items, an e-book reader, a photo of a family member, anything. There was nothing.

She considered sitting on a chair, but she decided not to do it - she was too excited. Her eyes must have been wide and glowing with enthusiasm.

“You are very excited,” the man noted.

She nodded.

“Yes, sir. Sorry, sir.”

A little smile formed on his face.

“No need to be sorry, cadet. You don’t have much experience, do you?”

There was something in his smile and in the way he looked at her that made her want to trust him. He spoke to her not like a commanding officer to his subordinate, but like someone friendly and concerned. This was surprising and a little disturbing at the same time.

“No, sir. I have no experience at all.”

He frowned.

“And Marissa chose you… Not the best idea.”

“I will do my best sir. I want to. After all, this is for humanity and the entire universe!”

He threw her a longer glance.

“Yes.” He said slowly. “You are not wrong”

“But?”

There always was a ‘but’.

“But I’m not convinced you are the right person for such a task. Still, I won’t object to the general’s orders.”

“I won’t fail, sir. This is my big chance.”

He shook his head.

“I’ve seen so many young people like you…”

“I’m sure you have, sir. I also think many of them died. But I won’t be facing…” she hesitated to say Decepticon leader’s name loudly: like the name of the evil wizard from the novels she read in her childhood. “…our target. I will plant the device, trigger the reaction. This is not something above my abilities. Or am I wrong, sir?”

“No. You’re not.”

“So I’ll do it.”

He nodded. Slowly.

“We will do it,” he said. “I will provide you with all support you need, cadet.”

***

Each time Optimus disconnected from the avatar it was harder than before. It was exhausting and each time seemed to be longer. The monitors on Soundwave’s ship showed his processor’s activity, and it was higher than usual. Nothing alarming, Flatline said, when asked, but it should be watched.

What Optimus suspected was that his exhaustion was caused not by an overworked processor, but by the sheer fact he had to pretend for such a long time and he was simply put off by this need.

He could always leave, he reminded himself.

Now he faced another option than leaving.

He was thankful his human avatar was imperfect and didn't channel emotions perfectly. This hid him as well, as his mask did before. His persona was calm and reserved like Prowl at his best.

It was an unexpected turn of events, indeed.

Marissa had stated her goal clear, Optimus understood it. As long as Megatron was alive, he was dangerous. Optimus discussed this already with Soundwave and with his own faulty conscience.

This could be easy, he thought. To just allow Marissa to complete her mission. To end it. Megatron suffered in a way he didn’t deserve – death was also a means to end this suffering. Optimus wouldn’t even have to really participate – just allow the young soldier to perform the task. It would be simple, just too simple.

It was always tempting. As Megatron was brought to justice for the first time, Optimus knew the ideal solution would be death. Any prison could be broken into, any form of manipulation – with the body, with programming, with Spark itself – was just too cruel. Megatron should die – he thought then. And that was a surprisingly painful though.

Maybe Optimus had been thinking this way because it was not the kind of victory he expected. He always hoped it would end on the battlefield; he never had intentions to drag Megatron in chains anywhere, all the more executing him. Megatron might have been a monster, but he deserved an honorable end, and execution was always humiliating.

Sending Megatron with the Lost Light was an opportunity. Optimus hoped that he would be killed during the mission. It was a foolish thought, selfish and utterly cowardly, Optimus understood that. He was able to face his enemy during battle, he had been able to imprison – and even torture – Megatron before; the last thing he was ashamed of. But killing someone helpless and imprisoned while looking him into the eye?

And there was another thing Optimus needed to admit: he might have known that Megatron’s death was the best solution, but, nevertheless, he had also the feeling that  _after_ his own life would be empty.

A paradox, a glitch in his processor, maybe. Moral protocols failure. Lack of the Matrix’ unshaken guidance. Confusion. Files and coding lines mixed up as a consequence of millennia-long mutual dependency. The memory of the fascination with a brilliant mind, of a mech brave enough, to throw the challenge to the oppressive regime, to tell the truth about the destructive social system. The memory of the need to follow this truth, to gain the friendship of the one, who dared to speak him. The constant disbelief, how that bold activist could turn into a tyrant and mass murderer. The suppressed dreams of what might have been, if things happened differently. The coding that built his attitude towards Megatron was already disturbingly tangled.

Like it was ever going to be easy.

He looked at Soundwave. The Decepticon spy sat at his post in front of multiple screens, monitoring both the status of the ship and the data incoming from his agents. Optimus noticed that none of the screens showed the images from inside of the human ship. Not general’s office, although it seemed to be a logical step. Did Soundwave want to avoid his devices being found? Did he think that having Optimus’ holoavatar on board was enough?

Did it mean that Soundwave was not aware of what Marissa intended?

Soundwave turned slowly, yellow visor obscuring the eyes behind it.

„Optimus: bothered. Needs to share?”

Did Soundwave know? Did Optimus have to say this?

He would hate himself for this, but he would hate himself more if he kept this in secret.

„Marissa Faireborn betrayed her plan.”

Soundwave nodded.

„Human general: reasonable. Resourceful. Cares for her cause. Dedication: admirable.”

„Did you know what she is planning?”

„Knowledge of the plan crucial. Distraction needed.”

„You didn’t tell me.”

„Optimus’ reaction also crucial.” Something blinked behind the visor. „Honesty: appreciated. You could have tried to support the general’s plan. This would be understandable.”

There was a change in Soundwave’s voice and manner of speaking and this time Optimus heard a hint of emotions in it. Relief.

„If I wanted to help Marissa, what would you do?”

„Everything to stop you.”

„But you hoped I would not help her.”

„You are honest. Honorable. You keep your promises. You were given a choice, you were allowed to leave and you didn’t do it.”

Optimus shook his head.

„But this means I want Megatron free.”

The visor flickered again.

„You don’t like this idea.”

„I don’t know where it goes.”

„You don’t need to know. After you help us, you will just leave us be and we will let you be.”

„At least you know why you are doing it. You were always one of the most dangerous Decepticons. You were dedicated to the cause. And to Megatron.”

„He showed me the way. He gave me my life.” There was, again, a hint of emotion in Soundwave’s voice.

„Shatter told me the same thing...” Optimus shook his head again. „Maybe she is right because I am here. It is easier for me to believe her than you.”

„Understandable. Optimus trust: not expected. Honesty: more than what was needed.”

***

The ship exited hyperspace. Behind her favorite window Miko saw a planet, first alien planet in her life. She felt her heart jump.

The internal comms of the ship informed that they reached the Citrix system and were now going towards the Council station. It was going to take approximately three hours and the crew had to get ready for docking procedures and leaving the ship. Next week they were going to spend on alien territory.

Miko looked outside. They were flying near binary planets, taking the same orbit. One of them was highly metallic and was rumored to be artificial, but who built it remained unknown even to the Council historians – or at least this was in the briefing on the Citrix system they got. As Miko read it before, she decided the system is as much fascinating, as the station inside it. There were those twin planets, there was a half-destroyed moon orbiting the same planet that the station did, occupied by various bunches of space pirates over the years. There was an anomaly, probably much larger than the system itself, reaching into it with a branch that was called „Kaschig’s field” and some kind of a space Bermuda Triangle. The presence of both pirates and anomaly didn’t stop the system from being a centre of commerce and diplomacy, situated in a convenient part of the galaxy (near territories of several organic species, far enough from mechanicals and their wars), so that the first civilizations that formed the Galactic Council decided it would be a good place to build their meeting point.

And there it was: their destination, the Citrix station. It was enormous; from the data she had read before, Miko knew it was the size of a large Earth city. It had, at least in the beginning, a shape of a flat disk, with the Council chambers, living quarters for the Council members, their families, visitors, and diplomats and countless, countless guards and staff; with a huge generator attached at what Miko’s brain wanted to be the bottom of the construction, and with the ring of everything else surrounding the core station.

Over thousands and millions of years – the Galactic Council was established even before Cybertronians started their war – many other constructions were attached to the station. Ships, large and small, immobilized, added to the entire construction, like chaotic suburbs surrounding the clean, planned city. Nobody protested, because over all those millennia new races joined the council and all of them had their own needs and all of the new Council members dragged their families, guardians, and servants with them. The merchants came, the entertainment workers, and all the creatures that saw in living in the Council’s shadow an opportunity to do their own businesses, often not legal in at least one law.

Miko stared. It was large, overwhelming and fascinating. All her childhood dreams fulfilled. Aliens, aliens in all shapes and sizes, living in this magnificent place. And she was about to enter the place that was the center of the civilized galaxy.

“It’s beautiful,” she whispered, her eyes wide as a child’s.

It was like all her old dreams finally come true.

Major Pretorius joined her in her observation point. She didn’t notice him until he spoke.

“It is,” he agreed. “A monument built to peace, harmony, and unity. Glorious”.

Was that longing in his voice? Sadness? She looked at him and she had this weird feeling again – that there was something off with this man. Not in a bad way, no. He just had something in him, that made Miko wanting to trust him so badly… It scared her.

“And we are going to save them,” she said, her imagination showing her this magnificent space city hailing her as the hero.

Major Pretorius looked at her. His lips twitched.

“When you imprison an ancient evil, you should expect it will make its attempt to escape,” she said. “We are going to kill it before it does.”

“It,” the man repeated and Miko felt like she had said something wrong.

“Him, right. He is still a person.” She frowned. “But he is still an ancient evil.”

“There were many more evil and more ancient than… him,” he noted.

“But… you understand what I am talking about…?”

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

“And you lost someone because of him,” she guessed. Most of the people she knew had lost someone due to Cybertronian civil war, if not killed in the fighting, then buried under a collapsed building.

“I did,” he agreed “But I’m not seeking revenge.”

Did he doubt the plan they were part of? She tried to guess his mood, but his face was so peaceful, it was almost unnatural. But then, this sadness in his voice…

“Are you all right, sir?” she dared to ask.

He turned his eyes to her and at first Miko had the impression they were empty, like the eyes of a doll, and she had just fallen into the uncanny valley – and then suddenly his eyes got ancient and this was even scarier.

“Yes. Thank you for your concern, cadet Nakadai.”

“Miko, sir,” she said. Screw it – they were on this dangerous mission and if they failed, they would probably end dead. So she could reach to this strange man and try to be his friend, because, why not and because she felt like it was the right thing to do and because he wanted to know what was wrong with his insane charisma, his weird eyes and this sadness she just heard in his voice.

He smiled.

“If you want, Miko. Then call me by my name”.

She couldn’t help but grin.

„Oluwasegun? This is a terribly long name, no offense… Can it be ‘Segun?”

He blinked.

„All right,” he agreed.

“Segun. So we are officially in this together,” she said. “Where, do you think, they keep him?”

And they both looked at the downside of the enormous station, towards the generator. The imprisoned warlord was somewhere there, attached to one of those things that was supposed to keep him immobilized forever. But there was no forever and Miko knew every evil being that was imprisoned like that was to come out sooner or later… more broken, more hurt, angrier and more evil.

It felt like one of the old movies or a video game.

For the aliens, it probably felt like every day since the Cybertronians started their war.

But she was here to end it. She, Nakadai Miko, a human soldier, a girl, who dreamed of aliens and adventures, who was exploring an abandoned base, imagining it actually was not-so-abandoned, who screamed and cried when the real aliens came, but not to her.

Now it was she who was going to be a hero.

The massive generators disappeared from their sight as the ship approached the docks.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aliens everywhere! - Propaganda and dark secrets – Ancient evils, part 1 – Soundwave is nervous, Bumblebee is not amused and Marissa doesn’t care – Are you depressed? - The prisoner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is long and angsty

The Council wanted the visitors to take a good look at the station: how it functioned, where the most important places were situated, how so many different species coexisted. Several trips were planned for the entire crew divided into little groups, each one assigned a guide. Miko expected lots and lots of details she was going to forget anyway – and tons of propaganda, naturally. Guides and helpful guards must have been instructed to omit some facts, details and places and to show the Council in the best light possible. They wanted humans to like the Council, they wanted them to admire its accomplishments and they definitely didn’t want humans to stumble upon something dangerous – or uncomfortable.

It was quite understandable: humans would do the same for alien visitors on Earth.

Miko also expected that they would have shadows behind them once they decided to use their free time. She was not sure what to think about this. The contact list general Faireborn provided was in her pocket. Possibly some of the guides and guards were introduced to the plan and there was a way to recognize this, but to Miko, it all seemed – for now – to be one big confusing mess.

At least the official tour on the station was an opportunity to see at least a little fragment of how all the alien species coexisted – although, to be fair, Miko wasn’t listening to their guide with so much attention as Oluwasegun did.

They decided to be in the same group – there were no rules against it and Miko really wanted to know him better. If you are going to have someone’s help in killing a villain, better to know this person.

She didn’t say that – not directly – but she suggested they should go together, and maybe then, after the official part, they should together use their free time – both an opportunity to see more of the station and to find their assigned contacts and places crucial for the mission.

“I want to know you better,” she added. “But, just in case you started to think something, I’m not interested in you… not in this way. Besides, it would be against all regulations”

Oluwasegun looked at her, his expression completely shocked and puzzled.

“Interested?” he asked.

Well, Miko was not sure which one of them was more shocked.

There were still many men of the older generation, especially in hierarchical structures like the military who would expect a young woman like Miko to be interested in them – and many who would be interested in a younger woman, no matter what she had thought of them. There were still men that would abuse their authority. Oluwasegun didn’t look like one of them, he had something in him that made you want to trust him, but better safe than sorry. Miko would be deeply disappointed if he was one of those disgusting men.

Fortunately, he was not; he was even surprised at the suggestion and Miko was relieved – although a little embarrassed by her assumptions now.

“Interested as in…” she cursed in her mind. „Like in something romantic? Sexual?”

The man nodded, now understanding.

„This is not something I would ever think about,” he said.

Gay, she decided. Or ace. Or terribly committed. Or both, or all of the above. None of this was of her interest unless he was in the mood for opening his heart before a quasi stranger, but no, he didn’t seem like he wanted to.

“So,” she said “No discussing that further. Let’s go see the station!”

There were aliens everywhere, more aliens than Miko ever expected to see. Many of them were much bigger than humans, some roughly the same size, some smaller. The base shape of the symmetric, upright body with a head on top seemed to be quite universal, but the variations were countless. Many species were more or less humanoid, some reminded her of Earth animals, some looked like plants or living minerals. Miko saw a breathtakingly beautiful blue-skinned lady (or whatever other sex and gender the alien was) talking to something covered in plates of both natural and fabricated armor. Something so hairy that it could be called Wookie if it wasn’t much smaller and six-limbed. A group of ethereal, pale humanoids not walking, but floating. Large, greenish-gray being with spiked back. Aliens resembling old Earth fantasies of gray skin, long necks, and large, deep black eyes, but much, much bigger. Insectoids. Slender, cat-like beings with silken fur, voracious teeth, and smug, intelligent eyes.

All the members of their group were staring, but the aliens were staring too. They had never seen a human before, maybe on the photos – but they must have heard that this young species, previously associating itself with Cybertronians now plans on joining the Council.

Speaking of Cybertronians, there must have been a few on the station too, since the Council maintained, at least formally, diplomatic relations with them. While their group was following the guide, Miko noticed one of them.

He was yellow and looked familiar. Miko must have seen him on some footage.

Oluwasegun stopped, giving the mech a long look. And when the Cybertronian stopped as well and proceeded to kneel to have his head on the human level, Miko thought for a moment he wanted to speak with her new friend – or even with her.

There was also this ridiculous thought that the mech wanted to talk to her, but she waved this absurd away.

Of course, neither of them was mech’s point of interest: General Faireborn was.

“Marissa,” the mech said.

“Bumblebee,” she answered. Her face was unimpressed, serious, even cold.

So, this was indeed the mech Miko had seen on the footage. One of those more known to the general public, considered friendly toward humans, a diplomat and a peacemaker. But Marissa Faireborn didn’t seem to be happy to see him; why?

“I heard you were going to visit,” Bumblebee said. “I sent you an invitation to a meeting. Did you receive it?”

General Faireborn nodded.

“I intended to send you the answer. I didn’t have much time.”

Miko noted that Oluwasegun was watching them very carefully.

The general was not eager for the meeting with this Cybertronian. The secret mission had nothing to do with it: it was more likely that Marissa Faireborn intended to play against the alliance and the Cybertronian ambassador was aware of her plans. So, the meeting between the two was expected, but it also was going to be uncomfortable.

Miko was glad she wasn’t going to participate in it.

“I’m awaiting your answer, general,” the mech said.

Marissa nodded.

”I’ll adjust my plan to meet you.”

After the mech left, the general seemed a bit displeased and tense. Miko didn’t comment on this. The general wouldn’t want anyone to comment on the change in her mood, not publicly.

Miko looked at Oluwasegun instead - she had some questions for him as well: why was he looking at the Cybertronian this way? Had they met? Was it about the incident Oluwasegun lost his family members in?

She didn’t ask any of those questions.

***

“The Galactic Council was created sixteen million standard years ago,” the guide was explaining. Miko shivered in awe, thinking again of the scale most of those creatures were using. “After The Shattering that caused many civilizations to fall and destroyed the home planets of many species, the founder races decided that the organic life needs protection from the aggressive mechanical life. The Galactic Council was successful in suppressing the Sentarian aggression and, finally, it pushed the mechanical species on the margins of the Council space. For the next few million standard years, the organic life could develop and expand, unthreatened – and if any threat appeared, the Council’s peacekeeping forces intervened to protect both species under the Council’s jurisdiction, and those who were outside of it, but too weak to defend themselves. The interventions often meant mediating between sides of the conflict and even more often ended with at least one of the parties joining the Council.”

The guide was a tall, proud being with purple skin and a ring of horns crowning their face. They moved with grace, underlined with the sway of long robes that hid some unidentified parts of alien’s anatomy.

They lead the participants of the trip through a gallery adorned with colorful mosaics, illustrating the history the guide was telling to the guests: a story of Council’s numerous triumphs and less numerous failings, portraits of great leaders, generals, diplomats, artists – more rarely their opponents. Events and sentient beings that shaped the Council into what it was now.

“It was during this golden age when the Citrix Station was built,” the guide continued. “The Citrix system, although hit hard by multiple cataclysms during the Shattering, provided a place easily accessible for many of the member civilizations. The commerce routes were easy to access for merchants that started to use the newly built station to negotiate deals for the entire systems. The old Council meeting chamber we will be entering soon was built then and remains a symbolic heart of the station, although is not used anymore, being too small and not adjusted to the modern security protocols. Now, back to history…”

The stream of facts and names flew out of the guide’s mouth. Miko thought of how history was her nightmare at school: boring, devoid of meaning. She recalled sitting in an empty class, another detention, looking at the empty street, thinking of her abandoned base, and not of the textbook on the desk. Facts, names, dates: this was the same, but now she was old enough not to get bored so easily and this was alien history. Sixteen million years! There was no sentient life on Earth in the golden age of the Galactic Council! .

“…was the last of great lawmakers for the Council. Most of our historians consider her fall an end of the golden age. Allowing it to happen was one of the Great Failures. The other was to overlooking Cybertronian civil war. We should have learned from the past – but we were too focused on our internal matters and by the time we noticed another mechanoid species threatening organic races, it was already too late. Many planets got destroyed as a consequence of this madness. Earth almost was one of them – this is also the failure of the Council. We didn’t notice your potential and didn’t react soon enough to support you against Cybertronian aggression.”

Or you just didn’t care, Miko thought. And now you try to look good because you can get another member… Courting us doesn’t cost you a lot and general Faireborn already promised you something you probably don’t want to do, because you don’t want to stain your hands with fuels and lubricants and whatever fluids Cybertronians have inside. Murdering someone you had sentenced to prison earlier will never look good.

The cynicism of this thought surprised her. Maybe, in the end, she  _was_ ruthless enough to be a good choice for an assassin?

Oluwasegun was listening calmly, watching the mosaics. He frowned from time to time and Miko believed he had similar thoughts. He must have been bitter at the mention of Galactic Council not helping Earth: maybe thinking of his dead loved ones.

The mosaics adorned the hall, some of them depicting scenes explained by the guide, but also many, many others. Miko tried to guess what they showed and why were they omitted.

There was one mosaic that caught her eye. It didn’t depict a scene, but a creature. A conical shape floating on some kind of thrusters, tentacle and three faces – all of the theme surreal and grotesque, like weird masks, all of them gnarled in hateful expressions. Some elements suggested, that the creature could have more faces/masks, but they were hidden behind it.

The eyes of all three faces were created so skillfully that they seemed to follow the viewer. It was something one could have nightmares about.

“Excuse me,” Miko said to the guide, who stopped and looked down to her. “What is this?”

Guides brows rose suddenly and they let out an unarticulated sound.

“An old legend,” the guide said, their voice dismissive. “Some say this is the depiction of an ancient race that was evil and destroyed entire civilizations. Those depictions are rare and considered bad luck; there were reportedly more of them here, but they were damaged and only this one survived. But this is just a legend, nothing to worry about.”

Miko noticed Oluwasegun standing beside her, his face frowned, hand on his cheek. She turned to him.

“Legendary ancient evil sound suspicious, don’t you think?”

“Hopefully, we will never find how how legendary they are,” the man answered, his voice surprisingly flat.

Miko nodded. Ancient meant something else for humans than for civilizations remaining here for millions of years. Better not imagine this evil race could be more than just a legend.

“We have another ancient evil to deal with,” she said half-jokingly.

Oluwasegun turned to her, blinked, surprised, then he nodded, understanding, what she meant. And she would say it was obvious for a human to think of Megatron as of “ancient evil”! Must have been not so obvious for Oluwasegun, though.

“I mean,” she said, as they departed the unsettling mosaic “In popular culture, there always was this trope with an ancient evil that is imprisoned, and then it gets free and tries to destroy the world. I just wonder how many situations like that existed in reality? I mean, there was Unicron, right? Not exactly imprisoned, but an ancient evil for sure. And, I mean, this what we have to do…” she said in a low voice. The guide didn’t seem to listen to them, but Miko didn’t want to tempt fate. “This is preventing an ancient evil from getting free, right?”

Oluwasegun nodded again, slowly.

“I never thought of it like this,” he said, “But I suppose you are right.”

Miko thought that in most of the stories defeating such evil meant the hero had to sacrifice something, sometimes even their own life. She really hoped this was not the case.

***

This was his first time on the Citrix Station. The Galactic Council never asked any of the Cybertronian leaders to participate in diplomatic talks, although Optimus tried to establish some relationships before. But the Council was prejudiced against mechanical races from the beginning of its existence, which was clearly visible in the history told to the guests. Inviting Bumblebee as an ambassador was surely an improvement in this attitude.

But there was a price. They paid the first part already and the Council was going to expect them to pay even more, before any mechanoid, any Cybertroinian would ever be accepted as an equal partner. The prejudice wasn’t going to disappear overnight and it was possible that their race would never take the seat on the Council – that no mechanical race ever would. They could try and try and they would never mend this divide, not in the next four million years.

So was it worth it? Was it worth it to give one of your own race, who proved he could be better than himself, and to allow to imprison him like this, so the Council could gloat over it, so they could triumph?

Peace in the galaxy. Yes, peace; but couldn’t the peace be achieved by another means?

Not that Optimus himself didn’t do horrible things and made sacrifices to finally have peace for his species.

Being on the Citrix Station meant being closer: to the resolution of the mission and to his own final decision. He still could change his mind, defy Soundwave and decide that he would follow Marissa’s plan. Wouldn’t that be better, for everyone?

Keeping Megatron imprisoned helped nothing – it only let some members of the Council species gloat.

The guide left them and now they were allowed to explore the station on their own. Of course, Miko was there, excitement in her eyes. She didn’t notice all the propaganda and arrogance: it was just alien culture for her, which was understandable: the Council species saw humans if not as their equal, then at least as truly alive.

Miko seemed to have infinite energy and optimism. She enjoyed visiting the station, wanted to see everything, and dragged Oluwasegun Pretorius with her, probably declaring him her new best friend, at least in her thoughts.

But finally she noticed her companion didn’t share her enthusiasm.

“Hey. May I have a question?” she asked, as they found a place to just sit and watch the creatures living on the station.

Miko’s eyes had something to them. They seemed to pierce him: to pierce the holomatter and to reach to his real self. Like she didn’t look at Oluwasegun Pretorius but at Optimus himself. Strange feeling; she couldn’t possibly recognize him and Soundwave confirmed she was exactly who she claimed to be.

He had seen her files, and nothing in them explained nor Miko’s behavior neither her attachment.

This might have been some human thing, some kind of searching for an equivalent of the organic family bond. It could be connected to this weird statement about the two of them going somewhere together, but not on a date. Organic biology made social relations messed up. For all his knowledge, humans tended to expect two individuals of the opposite biological gender would form a procreative relationship: even despite the fact that both their social relations and gender identities were far more complicated than if they were determined by the sole need to create offspring. Organics. Organics were complicated.

So, he was almost sure she would ask another question that would be natural from the human perspective, but puzzling for him. Something that would endanger his cover.

He nodded slowly. He would improvise.

“I noticed your behavior and… I’m sorry if I overstep, but… Do you have your depression diagnosed?”

He analyzed what Miko said.

Depression. The human word for a sickness of spark that plagued Cybertronians too. The lack of happiness, lack of will to live, of purpose, of meaning. Feeling of emptiness that surrounded, swallowed whole and left one hollowed and willing to offline for good.

And yes, some of Oluwasegun’s behavior could indicate the sickness.

But was he, Optimus, himself depressed?

There were moments in his life before when he was at least close to it. In the past, the Matrix kept him afloat, motivated him, gave him a reason to fight. Without it, he would have broken many millennia ago.

There was no Matrix anymore, no war to fight. No friends surrounding him – they buried him and mourned already. No one to trust. Mission to save his worst enemy. Another war? How would he deal with that?

He should have died. He went to die, to make his final sacrifice and he was, in the end, happy with it. He died at peace with himself, with not always right choices he made, freed from the madness, freed from the grief, happy. He wanted to be dead and he was robbed of this too. Now he had nothing.

Miko sat in front of his holoavatar, her eyes focused on the human face he wore, seemingly searching for everything that would indicate that Oluwasegun Pretorius didn’t exist.

Miko behaved like she wanted to befriend the man who was not even real: she saw a false face, knew a false name and let herself be deceived.

“I think I might be affected,” he admitted. “But I would need a more proper diagnosis. After the mission.”

That meant probably never, because Cybertronians and especially Decepticons didn’t have good psychiatrists anymore. There were maniacs who went from healing to harming and rare mnemosurgeons. Optimus remembered there was this competent therapist, a rarity indeed, who joined the Lost Light crew – but what happened to him? What was even his name?

Miko sighted.

“If we survive the mission,” she said.

She was afraid.

She was young. For all how confusing was human lifespan and lifecycle, Optimus was aware that twenty-two is considered adult, but still very young. Less than half of a brief organic life. It was always a waste to lose a life that had barely begun. And Optimus started to like the human soldier. It pained him that their relationship was based on a lie and began during an action orchestrated by a Decepticon spy.

Miko believed she was going to get rid of an “ancient evil” as she put it. She wanted to save the galaxy and became a hero. If Soundwave’s plan succeeded, she would live believing in something that was false.

She already believed in something that was false.

“We will survive,” he said. “You will.”

She frowned.

“And you will give your life if I am in danger?” she asked. “I won’t allow it. Don’t let your depression lead you. Whatever you might believe now, you have a life before you. Have you seen this place? It’s amazing! So many alien species! There are so many planets out there, civilizations, adventures awaiting!”

Her eyes glowed. She reminded him now of Rodimus – Rodimus a few years ago when he asked for a ship and a crew to search for Knights of Cybertron. Eager end enthusiastic, believing in a Universe bigger than her, but waiting for her to discover.

He smiled, although another image of Rodimus came to him: Rodimus devastated at the trial.

Primus, or some other god, who is protecting organics: let this young human stay like this, innocent and pure in her enthusiasm. Let her not witness disappointment and loss. Let her never learn, what she is part of right now.

***

So close. Soundwave could almost feel it: his master’s presence. He was looking at the plans of the Citrix station. The empty spaces disappeared one by one, filled with details, there were less and fewer possibilities. Soon he would have the exact location, and then…

Soundwave was certain, unmoved, stoic behind mask and visor covering his faceplate, but fear crept into his spark, the more, the closer he was. Fear of failure. Fear of finding his former leader dead – or worse, changed beyond acceptance, broken beyond any repairs.

He feared that Optimus no-longer-a-Prime will betray him – but this was the smallest of his worries. The greatest was to free Megatron – and to find him… different. Completely, utterly mad, more, than he ever was or worse even, unable to function properly, unable to think, imprisoned inside his own processor as he was inside the station now.

But then, he would just end his master’s life. Probably making humans happy, but it didn’t matter. Every chance he had should be used.

He didn’t want this: but he would do it, if necessary.

From the ship’s position, he could watch the station and project holoavatars when needed. He looked at three inactive frames placed on the berths, the former Prime and two of his symbionts.

:Rumble: he called his cassette. :Report:

:Checking the docks, boss. Made contact with this organic we were recommended. Not trustworthy at all, I’m afraid, but he stated the price. Rather impressive.:

Soundwave looked at the data. This was a lot, but he could afford it. The operation was costly – but Megatron’s freedom was priceless.

:I’ll try to persuade the guy to lower the price, just in case we have to pay an additional price for the guy’s silence. We should ask someone to deal with this, boss:

:No.:

:I know, I know… But we still have not enough people to do it if you want to know my opinion.:

:Rumble’s concerns: noted.:

He turned to the screens again, to the plans of the station, possible routes, the information on the Council members silently supporting Marissa’s plan.

The best he could do know, was to concentrate on the task, but knowing how close he was now, made his spark twist.

There were things he didn’t realize he felt and things he hid from the world for a very, very long time. There was the loyalty, that went beyond the one expected from a subordinate.

But this, also, was not something Soundwave wanted anyone to know.

He looked at the datafeed filling the screens, his own visor and directed straight to his brain. He placed more elements on the station model and smiled under his mask.

He calculated the route.

:Boss: a comm from Frenzy disturbed him. :I have the location of Marissa Faireborn. She is going to see the bug. Want to hear what they will discuss?:

Soundwave nodded and put the image on the feed.

Neither Marissa nor Bumblebee looked pleased, she probably even less. Bumblebee obviously had no idea what General Faireborn planned. He would oppose, if he knew, typical Autobot, honorable and lawful to the last moment, even, if it had bad outcomes. Pity. Megatron changed sides because of this yellow bug, and he now approved of this barbaric imprisonment. What would he think of Optimus’ involvement? What would he think, if he knew his former leader was alive?

But of course they discussed Megatron and they quarreled about him. Of course the question of if Megatron should die appeared – Marissa stating he should be dead, Bumblebee indecisive. And Bumblebee disagreed with the Council’s decision to show the general the prisoner.

“You really want to do this.”

The expression on Bumblebee’s face was shocked. Marissa Faireborn just shrugged.

“This is my decision, not yours,” she said. “And the Council’s, if they agree for me to do it.”

The yellow bug shook his head.

“This is unnecessarily cruel.”

“Why? He won’t see us anyway. I had been informed one of the terms of his imprisonment was the absolute isolation. So they will show him to me and he will be unaware of what is happening.”

Bumblebee was silent for a moment.

“This is not a spectacle for you to watch,” he said.

“It is not,” the human general agreed. “But I need it. For my people, for Earth, for our safety. We need to be sure that Megatron will never endanger us again. I want the proof and I asked the Council for it.”

She needs to be sure, Soundwave thought, yes, but the only situation that would satisfy her will be Megatron’s death. And Bumblebee is not stupid. He knows it.

Soundwave was right. The yellow mech blinked, then leaned a little towards his human guest.

“Marissa. What game are you playing?”

She clasped her hands, her face unmoved. Poker face, as humans called it.

“I’m not playing anything. I want to see him to tell my people about it. Wouldn’t you? Didn’t you ask for the same possibility? Didn’t you want to see your enemy, the one who destroyed your planet, meeting his punishment? You are as I am – an ambassador of your people to the Galactic Council.”

“My people,” Bumblebee said “gave Megatron to the Council to guarantee their trust. We allowed the Council to judge him and to punish him. For us, this is enough. Maybe some of us would take satisfaction of seeing Megatron imprisoned, but I’m not one of them. Vengeance was never my thing, Marissa. And I know enough of it...” Soundwave noticed Bumblebee shrugging.

If he could see the yellow bug’s EM field now, if he was close enough, to read his brain pattern, to see his emotion, to understand more than the sole fact that Bumblebee was appalled by something.

Soundwave leaned towards the screen, curled his hand into a fist.

:You ok, boss?: Frenzy asked him. :Do you want to continue?:

:I’m all right.: he stated.

He was, but for how long? He was so close, and yet so many things could go wrong.

“I don’t care, ‘Bee,” Marissa said. “I want to see Megatron. If the Council allows me to do it – you can’t do anything about this.”

“I wanted you to reconsider,” Bumblebee said. “But I see that you made up your mind. I won’t force you. I just want you to have some respect. This is a person that wanted to destroy your race, yes, but he deserves respect as much as any other living creature.”

“I’m not here to mock him, ‘Bee,” Marissa sighed.

This was all Soundwave wanted to hear. He ordered Frenzy to keep recording but stopped to listen. Both the human general and Cybertronian ambassador continued to talk, but the topic shifted towards humanity’s negotiations with the Council. This was not a piece of crucial information for Soundwave. He shifted his interests elsewhere.

:Shatter:

:I’m on site, Soundwave: the red triple changer informed.

She and Dropkick approached the moon of the planet.

Numerous fights and wars destroyed it, but an old base stood on its fractured surface. Under the nose of the Galactic Council lived multiple generations of space pirates. For a short time, the moon was even occupied by Black Block Consortia. About a standard year ago the group of Decepticon marauders kicked the organics out. The Council shrugged and did nothing. They liked neither the Decepticons nor the Consortia. Little they knew that the new occupants of the moon were lead by a mech participating in a conspiracy.

Everyone had their secrets in the end.

Shatter and her amica returned to the moon and were welcomed by their followers. Soundwave knew some of those mecha. Not very loyal to the cause, but surely loyal to mayhem. They didn’t really care for Megatron – but Shatter’s charisma was enough to convince them that the Galactic Council needs to be reminded that Decepticons never stopped to exist and still are dangerous.

Soundwave didn’t consider this group real Decepticons. Neither did Shatter. But in the end, they were going to get their mayhem, and Dropkick felt good among them. As Shatter explained, in the parallel universe her amica was often the one to volunteer for all the missions that caused destruction.

Oh, they made good Decepticons indeed, Dropkick a force of destruction, Shatter charismatic and cunning, but also destructive when needed.

:So, now I wait?: the red triple changer asked.

:Hopefuly not for long.:

:I’ll tell them of the plan: she said.

Part of the plan, actually.

:Boss: Frenzy informed. :Marissa is leaving.:

His holomatter persona had just finished the maintenance on the systems near Bumblebee’s quarters. No one noticed a technician, who was just packing his things. An object such massive as the Citrix Station needed constant technical care and had numerous staff to handle this.

She left. Frenzy’s avatar picked up his tools and bugs and left too, disappearing in the crowd and then strolling towards the technicians quarters.

There were still drones and cameras inside the station. Council’s own drones – Soundwave was too happy to use them.

He followed Marissa Faireborn. With a stern expression on her face, she went to her quarters, then proceeded to make calls.

Soundwave’s spark flickered in joy.

She was doing exactly what Soundwave wanted her to do.

***

There were four of them – general Faireborn and three people she chose to accompany her. It wasn’t surprising she chose the two she assigned with assassination mission before. Was the Council member Iastrar, who led them to Megatron’s prison part of the conspiracy?

Soundwave probably knew, but asking Soundwave now was not the best idea. Optimus had to concentrate on where his avatar went – and on all the things and devices that could disrupt projection. According to Soundwave’s intel, the Council still didn’t manage to consider holoprojections a serious security threat: Frenzy had found several devices created to disrupt holographic projections, but they were aimed at technology much less refined than the one used by Cybertronians.

The thing was, apparently, that if the organics used projections, they either used it to hide their own bodies or created them as simple programs, easy to disclose. No organic was able to send their consciousness to an avatar as mechanoids could. In conclusion: with upgraded holomatter technology being the newest development, the Galactic Council was completely unprepared for someone using it on infiltration purpose.

Yet Optimus got nervous, as they went through scans.

:Sending datafile to scanners: he received Frenzy’s amused message. :What if I let them discover you?:

:Soundwave would never let you: Optimus reminded the cassette. He received an expression of disappointment and then the transmission stopped.

The guard looked at scans, nodded and let all the supposed humans in.

This was the old maintenance area. The ancient station was upgraded and rebuilt many times, suffered many damages during battles and uprisings. Old parts of it were repurposed many times and Frenzy claimed he had found enough old, unused corridors and mysterious sealed chambers to hide the entire operation – and an additional Decepticon squad, just in case. Optimus was not sure if he should believe it.

Besides, this particular part of the station must have had higher security than the other, if they decided to keep Megatron here.

It was empty, where most of the areas they had seen had. Long corridors, plain walls, a maze of passages and corners, corridors ending with walls that weren’t probably there before – rooms that had lost their purpose and were unused until the Council decided to repurpose them into a prison for a Cybertronian warlord.

There were two more security gates on the way before the Council member led the guests to the circular gallery. The walls here were white; there was a blinded window separating the gallery and the central chamber. One console stood by the window, another – by the closed maintenance corridor. There were also doors leading to the chamber: they were sealed shut.

The Council member approached the console. They stood beside it, back to the window, face to the guests.

“General Marissa Faireborn of Earth. You requested the proof that the one responsible for all the destruction suffered by your people and your planet was punished. The Galactic Council, believing the alliance with Earth to be valuable and believing your people deserve their justice, decided to accept your request.”

They put their hand on the console that started to read the information – the shape of the hand and the structure of the skin, the DNA signature.

Optimus hoped Soundwave was now able to at least determine what information the device needed.

Optimus noticed Miko coming closer to his persona. Her mouth was tightened, her body tense, eyes concentrated at the blind moving slowly apart.

He too found himself drawn to the view, hypnotized by it. It was not what he expected.

The perspective was terrifying. Optimus was aware that he was looking at the world from the standard human height – but now the difference made the whole view even more terrifying.

One of the station’s generators was in the chamber. Not the main one, it would be too risky and stupid, but one of the supporting ones. Now some of its power was transmitted to keep the additional energy grid around – and to hold a massive frame in place.

Cuffs were placed on Megatron’s wrists and ankles, holding him shackled to the reactor, but they were not the only way he was held there. There were wires and cables connecting him to the machinery, disappearing somewhere in his back, some of them added, some – probably – pulled out from under the armor that was cut open.

His head was bowed, eyes half closed, dim, unseeing and unconscious. His body twitched, when blind opened – but he couldn’t see the visitors, the window being one-sided and his own consciousness subdued.

This was not a sight Optimus could enjoy. His former nemesis was there, powerless and crippled, unaware, of what was happening around. Parts of Megatron’s plating was removed to reveal mechanisms underneath. It should hurt – but Optimus couldn’t tell if Megatron was feeling pain or not. If those who imprisoned him were reasonable, they at least tried to keep him sedated, but this speculation didn’t help to abate Optimus’ unease. Megatron was just there, alive, but almost offline, not aware of his state. This was not a state Optimus would want to see  _anyone_ in. This was not what he had wanted to achieve when he had allowed Megatron’s trial for the first time.

He had not been there for the second trial. Would the outcome have changed, if he had been present?

He found himself touching the glass. A soft, human hand of the holoavatar pressed against the cold surface, Megatron’s silhouette enormous in comparison.

Optimus withdraw the hand. Did Marissa Faireborn notice? Did Miko? Did Council member and the guards?

The human general looked at Oluwasegun Pretorius and smiled.

“I see you are as impressed, as I am, Major Pretorius,” she said. “There he is. Megatron finally met his fate. This is beyond what I expected.”

Was she happy? With this?

No, Optimus reminded himself. This is not enough for her. She wants Megatron dead.

Compared to this death was a better solution.

The Council member leaned toward Marissa, their slender body bowed almost in half.

“Does that satisfy our human allies?” they asked, each of the sounds that left their mouth long and smooth.

The general nodded.

“This is the proof I needed. And he is in no position to escape. The cell is also well secured from the outside, I believe?”

The Council member blinked slowly.

“We value highly the security of the cell. We update the protocols every time and we will soon be ready to move the prisoner in a more secure location. But where – this is classified and unknown even to me.”

“I would not ask,” Marissa said.

She turned her head again towards the window and smiled with satisfaction.

Would I be able to smile like this in her situation, Optimus asked himself.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doubts – Too late to withdraw – Shatter’s subordinates – The trip outside – Flatline needs help

Miko sat beside the window, watching the curve of the planet outside. This side of Citrix was entering it’s night cycle now, and so was the station. Miko rested her chin on folded arms.

I should be happy, she thought. I should be happy because of what I’m doing. So why am I not?

Her doorcomm chirped. She didn’t noticed it, until it did it again.

“Yes?”

“It’s ‘Segun.” She heard. “May I?”

His voice made her happy. Why did it make her so happy?  
“Yes! Come in!”

Oluwasegun entered the room, then stood for a moment, before he sat on a free chair. There was so many things in his behavior that indicated him being confused, like parts of him were forgetting how to do ordinary everyday things. Miko wondered again why he went on a mission instead of undergoing psychological therapy. He seemed to cope, but so did many depressed people. Miko had some depressed friends in the past: too many young students under the pressure of being perfect. Her childhood friends who succumbed to it, when she managed to escape the life planed for her by her parents.

They looked at each other for a moment, before Oluwasegun spoke.

„Are you OK?”

OK? Was she OK? What about him? It was him who was depressed and should be getting therapy instead of trying to kill an imprisoned villain.

„What about you?” she asked.

He moved the chair towards her.  
„You first. I want to know what you think. You look disturbed.”

Miko sighed.

“I… I just don’t know anymore…” She shook her head. “You will laugh, probably. But what I saw today… I… I thought it wouldn’t bother me, but it did. Like, he is a monster!” she exclaimed. “And he is a machine, God damn it! And I shouldn’t pity him, but I do. I tried to see only a machine, but I failed. I… You probably won’t understand, but they are alive somehow, right? I mean, they are machines, but we are animals and…”

She looked at Oluwasegun who looked like he was not able to follow what she was saying. She sighed again.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “It must be too confusing for you”

Oluwasegun shook his head slowly.

“No. Actually, it is not.”

“Good. Because probably most of us don’t think of them as living beings… I’m… I’m a little weird, I think. You see, I have a friend, we met in high school, you know, her name is Sari and her father worked in robotics even before they came, so we talked a lot about what it mean to be alive for a mechanical being… This was soon after we learned aliens exist and… But I also am a soldier and I know how it is: it’s easier if you believe your opponents aren’t human, and we are really good in convincing ourselves members of our own species are not human enough. So it must be easy when you fight aliens, right? It should be. Yeah, you must know this too. And you had fought already, so you probably understand it better. It’s dehumanizing, and it’s useful, and it’s awful. Well ‘dehumanizing’ is a bad word here, but you get it, I hope?”

Oluwasegun nodded slowly again.

“Yes” he said. “I get it.”

“And,” Miko continued “it would be easier, if I saw Megatron as something nonsentient. I mean, he is the enemy, and he is a monster, and he deserves to die. But I’ve never killed anybody before and that it’s not human doesn’t help. I mean… he looks like he was suffering, but that might be only my imagination, too much fucking empathy. And, probably, he deserves to suffer, doesn’t he?”

Oluwasegun was calm and silent, so calm and so silent that Miko had a feeling there is something wrong. Will he disapprove of what she said? Will he report her to the general, saying she is unfit for the mission?

And yet she she had this persisting, irrational feeling she should trust him, no matter what.

“Nobody deserves to suffer,” he said and Miko let out a relieved breath.

“So us killing him will be an act of mercy?”

And again, Oluwasegun’s eyes piercing Miko, sad, deep and ancient. He didn’t answer.

“I’m just...” Miko sighed. „I’m just sad I had never spoken to any of them. It’s not fair. I’ve never really spoke to an alien – and there are so many here around us… I wanted to see aliens, and I’m an assassin now. What’s happened to my life?”

“Believe me, Miko,” Oluwasegun said. “We all have those moments in our lives, when we realize that everything is different than we wanted and expected it to be.”

“You probably had plenty of them in your life,” she said.

“More than you think. Yes. In fact, I’m in one of such situations right now”.

“Because of… of him?”

Oluwasegun nodded.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry. You lost so much… You must feel terribly alone.”

It was piercing – the sadness she expected he felt, the look in his eyes. The fact he really was depressed and probably he must have forced himself to cope and that the mission must have been everything that kept him afloat.

He nodded.

“I will do it. But thank you. Your compassion means a lot for me.”

Miko smiled.

“So,” she said. “Want to go to talk to some aliens?”

***

Contrary to what was believed of him, Soundwave respected the concept of privacy. After all, he had his own share of it. There was the privacy of his family: his symbiotic bonds, strong and uncomparable to any other bonds mecha formed. Privacy of his – rare, but existing – romantic involvements. Privacy in his own thoughts. He, who was able to look into mecha’s minds, was alone in his own too often. And he was able to respect privacy of the others, if otherwise wasn’t necessary.

So he had no idea what Optimus and the human soldier, Miko Nakadai, were talking about, as they strolled through the promenade of the Citrix Station. No matter how weird their bond seemed to him, he was aware that friendships between his own kind and organics happened in the past – and the former Prime must have been in need to talk to someone that wasn’t a Decepticon. Soundwave wasn’t worried. The mess of this weird friendship was something that should be left to its participants.

So he looked to other parts of the station, to other points that interested him.

He finally had a location, full image provided by the data extracted directly from Optimus’ brain module, with additional data reconstructed from the details taken from multiple other sources. The programs both Soundwave himself and his computer run estimated accuracy for 80 percent.

It didn’t look particularly good. He looked for a longer time at the data and at the visuals and his spark filled with anger.

Oh, he could expect this.

:Flatline: he called the medic. :Your assistance is needed:

Flatline came right away. Soundwave didn’t speak, he just pointed at the visuals and the stream of data. Flatline flickered his optics.

“This doesn’t look good.”

“Affirmative.”

The medic looked at Soundwave.

“The critical question is how deep the additional wires go and if they reach the spark. If they really managed attach his spark to the reactor, this may be something that can’t be undone, not in the short time we will have, at least. I need to go with your symbionts and… Soundwave, I’m not good enough for this!”

“Flatline: the most competent medic we have.”

“Not competent enough!” Flatline protested. “I can already see thousand things that might go terribly wrong, starting with Megatorn dying of shock, when we cut him off. I might try, Soundwave, but this is… I need time. And another medic. Reconsider this. Let Optimus contact Ratchet.”

“Not enough time,” Soundwave said.

“Soundwave, I beg you. Reconsider this.”

“Not enough time,” Soundwave repeated.

He understood the problem. He considered bringing Ratchet in; the data indicated two medics would work better than one. Ratchet was the best Cybertronian medic alive… But Flatline, no matter what he said, was not far behind. Having the best medic would be great, but having the second best was good enough.

Falatline wasn’t going to give up though.

“Do you want us to fail when we are so close? Do you want to risk Megatron’s life?” Flatlines voice was challenging. “I just need send those files and ask Ratchet what he is thinking. Write it’s urgent. He doesn’t need to know what it’s all about… and if he knew… Do you really think he would be against it?”

Soundwave was silent for a while.

It was not Ratchet’s involvement that made him worry: it was the fact, that the more mecha knew, the higher chances somebody would start to follow them. Ratchet was involved with Deadlock, now known as Drift… No, “involved” was not the right word for Conjunx bond they shared. Anyway, chances that Drift wouldn’t learn about it at some point were low. On the other hand, everything indicated Ratchet would learn anyway, once Optimus was be free to go wherever he wants.

Maybe Flatline was right. Their priority was to free Megatron and fix him. All the consequences could be dealt with later.

Ratchet WAS the best Cybertronian medic alive. Flatline was good, but with Ratchet’s assistance Megatron’s chances of survival rose rapidly.

“Flatline: has permission,” he decided.

The medic smiled.

“You won’t regret it!” he said.

Soundwave watched Flatline encrypting files before sending them. This minimized the chance of data being intercepted and their hideout – located. If the Citrix staff was to locate something, more likely it was Shatter’s team hiding on the broken moon – which was not exactly contradictive to the plan.

Speaking of which…

:Shatter, status?:

:I have many bored ‘Cons here: she answered. :How much longer?:

:The Council is meeting the human diplomats next day cycle: he answered. :I’m sending you the exact time when you should be ready.:

:I hope they will be patient enough. I promised them mayhem… Even Dropkick is bored, and they at least understand what we are doing. The others… not so much. Turmoil had already told me I’m not a real ‘Con, had challenged me to fight, I trashed him, so the others are quiet now: Soundwave heard satisfaction in Shatter’s message. She also was impatient and waited for fight, although she didn’t want to admit it out loud, too proud and too professional, considering herself better than the Decepticons she lead right now.

Shatter’s team was small, and was mostly desperate. Soundwave had their data. The ‘Cons following Shatter weren’t there for ideals, they just wanted a fight, a war, the promise of glory Megatron provided them in the past. They didn’t care for the ideals the Decepticon ideology should stand for. They were…

Disposable, said something dark deep in Soundwave’s processor.

Maybe. Maybe he treated them like they were disposable and maybe he treated many other mecha like this in the past, using them as cannon fodder, cold, calculating… He enjoyed the thought he was better than most of Decepticon command, not power-mad, corrupted, cruel; that he was, indeed superior. But in his ruthless calculations how many mecha lost their life, because he decided their – indeed, function – makes them perfect for some desperate tasks?

It didn’t matter now. Nothing mattered except the mech he followed for millennia and intended to still follow – provided he managed to save his life.

Shatter understood him. He had hopes for her, reaching far beyond the current mission. Cybertronian society was a mess, despite utopian hopes of Windblade and some of her followers. There was rumors of Starscream being back and planning to get involved in politics again. New Cybertron had its own population, that wasn’t going to agree to the terms of the new universe. Some of them had strong Functionist sentiments, but the others needed support and adjustment to new reality. Shatter, who fought against the regime and now worked with Soundwave, could be their voice. They needed her charisma, her dedication and her anger.

First, she needed to survive what was coming, and Soundwave couldn’t promise that.

„Can you tell we will survive this?” Buzzsaw asked.

Soundwave looked at him. His thoughts must have been strong enough to be recognizable through the symbiotic bond.

Buzzsaw, sitting on the back of a free chair, cocked his head.

„You accept the fact Shatter can die. Not mentioning Optimus, but he is, well, himself, so he indeed is disposable.” There was a mocking tone to the last word. „But Flatline? He did nothing wrong, he just wants to help, although I’m not sure why would he even care… But we? Remember how it hurt, when we lost Ravage? When we lost Laserbeak? Do you know, how we felt, when we almost lost you?”

Soundwave reached out his hand, touched Buzzsaw’s head. The cassette didn’t submit to the touch, but didn’t escape from it either, his eyes still focused on his carrier’s face.

Buzzsaw was surprisingly calm, for what he had just said. He didn’t accuse – he just asked questions and Soundwave needed to answer them.

„What will you do, if you will have to choose, either us or Megatron? Who will you choose then?”

„You know it, Buzzsaw.”

The bird’s head moved again, no smile possible on his beak, but visible in his eyes. A little mockery. Look, he was thinking, we know, we really know, but can you tell this? Can you see, what is most important for you? Tell me, Soundwave.

„If I ever have to choose,” Soundwave said „I will choose you.”

„This is a good answer” Buzzsaw said.

So why it had hurt to think about it?

***

“I’ve seen nothing,” the alien said, or rather chirped.

They were birdlike, slender, their hands sprouted from feathery wings. They had clawed legs and feathery tail, short beak in place of mouth and nose. They didn’t wear any clothing, but their neck, legs and head were adorned in what looked like jewelry. Possibly was jewelry. Possibly wasn’t.

They were brightly colored and graceful. Miko thought, they were by far the most beautiful being she saw on Citrix Station… although the blue skinned ladies made shivers crawl down Miko’s spine. This was other kind of beauty and Miko was aware her enjoying alien’s form was caused by the associations humans had with birds. Probably she subconsciously seen the alien as an animal and not a fully sentient being they were.

Oluwasegun was calm and patient as always.

“The route is created for tourists,” birdlike alien chirped. “But the arrangements can be made, of course, for a suitable price…”  
This they already knew: the alien was pointed to them as somebody ready to break the security rules.

“We need to see it,” Oluwasegun said.

The alien nodded.

“But of course. Do you need space suits? We have several that could be your size, but were never used by your species so we cannot be sure they are proper equipment?”

Miko nodded.

“We are ready for this” she said.

They had the suits in a case and the alien left them, so they could change. Miko slipped into her suit swiftly and then looked at his companion.

He was struggling. Like he had never wore a suit before.

“’Segun?” she asked, approaching him. “Do you need help?”

He looked at her and his eyes were almost blank.

She felt her heart skipping. Did his depression kick in? He needed help, he needed meds to function, goddamit, and they had nothing.

She needed his help to proceed on the mission, at least this.

„It’s all right,” he said.

„It’s not!” Miko protested. „I see what is happening, goddamit, you are starting to have problems with simplest tasks! I’ll tell the general. She will relieve you from this duty and...”

She felt his hand on her shoulder. It felt oddly light. His eyes looked straight into hers: stern and concerned, and she shivered, because again she had the feeling they were ancient and that her friend was… what was he anyway? No, not depressed, but something entirely else.

„I am all right,” he said. „I will do it. Thank you for your concern, I’m aware of the problems I have, but I won’t back off now. Come, Miko. Let’s see what we have.”

Miko nodded. She believed him. Wanted to believe.

„Alright,” she agreed.

She let him put on the rest of the suit: it went smoother, like the previous problem was just a glitch.

„Took you long time,” the birdlike alien said.

They looked around, like they were afraid someone was watching. But the only person around was a technician checking something behind an open panel on the wall, a purple furry humanoid half of Miko’s height. They turned their head towards two humans and the avian, but returned to their work immediately.

The avian, now covered in their own suit, led them to the airlock and several minutes later it opened to the empty space. Miko saw the Citrix 4 planet, shifting colors on its surface, moons and satelites encircling it. One of the moons looked like it was broken in half; there were also clusters of trash and debris.

Her suit’s magnetic shoes clamped on the hull. The tourist route was secured with a railing – Miko didn’t need it, neither did Oluwasegun. Looking around with interest, he moved very swiftly and with confidence, Miko noticed - the man unable to put his own suit on disappeared.

“Been into space like this?” she asked.

Oluwasegun nodded.

“Several times. You?”

“During my training, yes. Not as much as I would like, but… Wow, this is amazing! A real alien planet! Can you imagine? Of course it’s uninhabitable, but still… What happened to the moon?” she asked turning to the avian.

“Broken during conflict long time ago. Taken over by pirates and then Decepticons,” they answered “Listen, I usually lead trips, but you are here for something other. Do what you have to; the longer you are here, the higher chance you will be noticed.”

“No one will notice” Oluwasegun said. “Come, Miko.”

He turned off the magnets and on the thrusters, bounced off the hull. Miko saw him above her, extending his arm towards her. She jumped herself, but did not caught the hand.

She laughed. This was what she was born for, flying like this on the orbit of alien planet!

She took control over the thrusters and landed behind the railing, putting the layout of the station on the screen on the inside of her helmet.

“Looks like it should take about an hour and a half to get there,” she said, pointing at the spiking construction in front of them.

“Defense systems” Oluwasegun added. “See these? Automated railguns, quite common on bigger ships and space stations. One shoot from something like this will tear a human in pieces.”

“Designed to shoot things approaching from there,” Miko said, looking at the fractured moon above them. “Not the small humans crawling on the surface. Barrels are too long, the aiming system probably not precise enough. They have to have other security systems for things on the surface… electric fields? The maintenance crews need to know their placement, possible they have codes to turn them off. We will have to proceed carefully.”

She would gladly use thrusters on the entire travel towards the destination, but they were not strong enough and she doubted they would last long enough.

***

:Two standard hours. How long will it take Shatter to launch an attack?: Optimus asked.

:An hour on full speed: Shatter answered on his comms. :I could make it half, but I’m not sure of my companions here. But we are ready and they grow impatient.:

They. An team of desperate, aggressive Decepticons waiting to attack a station inhabited by thousands organic civilians. How come was he a part of this?

Soundwave made them promises, but could Shatter and her ‘Cons be trusted?

And there will be casualties. Even if they tried to make as little of them as they could.

But he went to rescue his own mecha in the past and it always ended with casualties. He could not be so hypocritical as to deny it.

:Flatline: how is your progress?: Soundwave asked.

:I sent the files. I got an immediate answer. I will have help:

:Help from whom?: Optimus asked.

:Ratchet:

Soundwave sent an expression of disapproval toward his medic. Ah, so he didn’t want Optimus to know that they involved Ratchet in this madness.

He felt anger, but it was muted by a pang of loneliness. One of his closes friends was getting involved, and they haven’t seen each other since… So very long, that it seemed an eternity, considering that there were inseparable during millennia in the past. How much have changed since then! Ratchet was bonded now, to Drift; strange, Optimus would never expect that the two had so much in common, but he never get to know Drift well enough, as it seemed. And now he felt so strongly the painful contrast between what his old friend had and what he had… A sting of jealousy and envy and indescribable longing for somebody close.

There was Miko, the only person in this madness who was his friend or who considered herself his friend; but she was a friend of Oluwasegun Pretorius, a human who didn’t even exist. She believed he was opening himself to her, but he could not possibly do this. Everything she saw in him was a lie.

“’Segun!” Miko called. He realized that his holoavatar stood on the station hull, motionless. He turned his consciousness to it again, looked at his companion. She was floating slightly above the surface, both magnetic boots and thrusters turned off. She seemed to enjoy it, judging from her smile and the fact, she just let herself float like that.

“Yes?”

“You all right?”

“Yes. Let’s go back in.”

The avian waited for them at the entrance.

“Have what you needed?” They asked, impatient.

Optimus nodded.

The airlock closed behind them, then they proceeded to took off the suits and leave the area.

Miko was glowing, a young thing amazed of the magnificence of the universe, behaving like what was happening was a play, not an assassination mission. She enjoyed every aspect of this she could, and Optimus envied her: the ability to find joy in this situation, the way she saw the universe, as a marvel, not as a burden. She had her friends – she mentioned that, one of them was back on Earth. She probably didn’t lose anyone during the war, a blessing for her. Her short life had just started: she will fall in love, probably, and possibly will want to have offspring, as it happened to organics. She will have many years – in human scale – before she will feel old and burned out and tired. And then it will just pass, like organic life, like a flame, her equivalent of a spark going to wherever human “souls” go.

“You’re doing it again” she said, suddenly not gleeful anymore. Worried.

“It’s just loneliness. Sorry. I just thought of a friend I haven’t seen for many years. He got married recently. I barely know his husband.”

“Can you contact them, when you are back from here?”

“I… hope I will be able to do it, eventually. But it just made me think how lonely I am.” Better this half-truth than saying nothing. So far she believed him and built an image of him convenient for their purposes – constructing herself a bigger lie from his half-truths.

„I’m sorry,” she answered.

It is me, who should be sorry, he thought. He wanted to tell her that he would like to see her as a friend, the only person he could trust in this situation.

Only he didn’t. He couldn’t trust her – because she couldn’t trust him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since some person commented on the last chapter and then deleted their comment: don't be afraid! If you want to say what you think, you are more than welcome! I really love comments, and if you want to discuss something, ask questions, share something, say what you are thinking, suggest an improvement (especially for my writing style, because English is not my primary writing language) or just squee - go on!
> 
> This said I appreciate your kudos too.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I am a threat – The long walk – The rescue - We have company! - You are not going to get him! - But they do – Miko’s dream - I’m not going to let you down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of my favorites - and it comes with this amazing artwork by The Awkward Enthusiast!

Soundwave turned on the holographic table, showing the plan of the Citrix station. Several points were lit in various colors, signifying the areas and points of their particular interest. Optimus, Flatline and Soundwave’s cassettes were looking at it directly – Shatter and Dropkick had it transmitted on some of their devices, although one could suspect the moonbase occupied by Decepticons wouldn’t have as advanced planning table as Soundwave used.

Optimus placed his hands on the table, looking at it, recognizing places his human persona visited, noticing several others he had never seen.

„Shatter: everything in order on the plans?” Soundwave asked.

„I have them. So, the purple light is our target, I presume?”

„Affirmative.”

Shatter smiled.

„Good. So this is the area we need to concentrate our attack on…” It took a little time until both the devices synchronized and the area pointed on by Shatter lit on Soundwave’s table. „Meanwhile your little organic will be placing the device… this will be tricky, but I like a good challenge”

„This area,” Soundwave said, as the next places lit, pale red this time „Security cameras: turned off, patrols re-routed. Access to the emergency plans gained: during negotiations protecting the Council crucial. All the security members ready to be reassigned in case of attack. This will be arranged. The fewer casualties the better. Point of entry: here.” Singular red light lit, then expanded into a line, showing the route Soundwave planed. It started in the docking area and lead through highly populated parts of the station, but then used several old corridors and maintenance shaft – the escape route relayed on them.

Rumble and Frenzy did an excellent inside job.

„Who do you plan to send there?” Shatter asked.

„Flatline goes, with Rumble and Frenzy.”

„You should reconsider...” Flatline protested. Soundwave turned to him, his face perfectly obscured under mask and visor, but voice strict.

„As few mecha as possible go. Medic needed.”

„Yes, I understand perfectly,” Flatline said reluctantly. Was this fear in his voice? He looked towards the screen with Shatter’s face, then towards Optimus. „But we need at least one bigger mech more to carry. Optimus is stronger...”

„Optimus: not going,” Soundwave said.

„You are seriously not considering that!” Flatline exclaimed. He turned to the two other mecha present – or connected to the comms, in Shatter’s case. „He lost his mind! This endangers the entire operation!”

„Soundwave is right,” Optimus said calmly. „I’m a threat.”

„A threat?!” Shatter exclaimed; her reaction was surprising, considering her outburst when they first met.

„Soundwave knows I could sabotage the operation at the last moment. I know I could do it. I should not go.”

Soundwave might have trusted him when it came to the survival of their species and the entire universe – but Megatron’s fate was something entirely different.

Shatter shook her head.

„You are sabotaging it by not going,” she protested. „Orion… Optimus. If you wanted to stop us, you would already inform humans. You wouldn’t be here.”

That she was still seeing the other Orion in him was disturbing.

She gave him a stern glance and she turned to Soundwave.

„Soundwave,” she said. „Reconsider. He is the best mech we have for the task. This is not the time for your fears to surface.”

There was a surprising, displeased sound coming from Soundwave’s vocalizer.

„Shatter: doesn’t have reason to worry.”

„She has,” Buzzsaw, quiet so far, threw in. „We had discussed this, boss. You reconsidered your priorities. You want Megatron back – you have to do what is necessary.”

Soundwave remained silent. Then he nodded slowly, in agreement. Primus only knew, what his feelings were: especially after being so exposed by his subordinates – and to the former enemy.

Flatline ex-vented with resignation looked at Optimus.

„Typical Decepticon lack of trust. I’m sorry you have to witness it,” he said. „Soundwave, forgive me for not trusting your expertise again. I know your plans usually work perfectly. I hope this one works too because if not, we are fragged. I’ll go, naturally. The route is not long, we should make it.”

„How much time do they need?” Shatter asked.

Soundwave said. She smirked.

„We should hold on for this long, what do you think, Dropkick?”

Her amica grinned.

„I don’t like the ‘little casualties’ part,” they admitted.

Shatter laughed.

„We will have all the organics in their pathetic little fighters, that will come at us, sweetspark. And we will fry some of their systems. They will remember us. Good luck, Flatline. And you too, Or… Optimus”

:We should talk: he sent her on private.

She still owned him explanation, and Optimus doubted, Megatron would be eager to share what happened between him and the other Orion.

:No time now. I trust you, and no matter what Soundwave says: if he has you in this, then he knows what he is doing. But if we are wrong I’ll tear your wires out.:

He was not sure if she was serious or joking.

***

Miko checked her pulse. It was going incredibly fast. Excitement and fear mixed in her body, adrenaline levels rose rapidly. She couldn’t sleep, even though she understood this would be for the best: to get some sleep before the final moment of the mission. Oluwasegun agreed and closed himself in his quarters. Must have been asleep, because when Miko pinged him on comms he didn’t answer. She envied him his calm.

General Fireborn was in a meeting with the Council. This was to be the most important of the talks and all the ambassadors sent from Earth participated. Most of the attention was concentrated on it.

The station was too big for anyone to notice, and there were enough species in the galaxy that was humanoid enough. Humans were curiosity, but not everyone recognized them. And regular soldiers weren’t watched all the time.

Miko got up far before the scheduled time of the operation. Prepared breakfast for herself, but her stomach clenched in disgust. She forced herself to eat a protein bar and some chocolate, hoping she won’t get nausea during the mission.

No. How even could think of it like this? This was something she always dreamed about.

She thought of the abandoned base from her childhood, of how she explored it, excited and scared, but mostly excited. How disappointed she was, that it was empty. She didn’t get her adventure then. She was getting it now. She was going to be a hero.

She looked at the device again, before she put it into the bag. It felt heavy in her hands.

Oluwasegun waited outside her quarters. He looked calm, as always.

„I have some sandwiches left if you want,” she greeted him, trying to sound as natural as she could.

He shook his head.

„No, thank you.”

„Right. You never eat.”

She noticed it now: she never saw him eating.

But those things happened sometimes, right? Depressed people had those kinds of problems.

She thought that she needs to take care of him once all of this is over. Not that she was an overly caring type, but he Oluwasegun needed help. Maybe she should find this friend he mentioned, talk to him and his husband… They could provide the help Oluwasegun needed.

That had to wait.

„Let’s go,” she said.

They went in silence. The entire station around them unaware, aliens living their lives, like something unreal, something out of a dream, like part of the fantasy Miko had that day in the abandoned base.

She felt light, weightless. Like her body suddenly become automatic, moved on itself, like someone else moved her and she had just watched, disconnected from what was happening. Maybe this was the desired state, some kind of a trance, the thing called flow.

She checked the suit, put it on, the device secured in the backpack, just next to the oxygen bottle and thrusters, hanged the trigger on the utility belt.

Oluwasegun was silent too. Pensieve. She didn’t mind, but before they left for the airlock, she hugged him.

She should have asked because he looked like he didn’t like to be touched – as far as she knew depressed people often had this problem. But she needed it badly, just in case something happened to any of them.

No, she planned on to stay alive and witness their triumph.

„You are a great person,” she said. „It was an honor to meet you. Just in case.”

„Just in case” he agreed. „Good luck.”

She looked into his eyes, worried, tired and old. What else could she say?

The airlock closed behind her. Again, she stood on the hull, the point of her destination just before her eyes.

„This is the moment I was waiting for all my life, ‘Segun,” she said over the comms. „How is the situation?”

„Looks good. I’ll keep you informed.”

„Right”

She jumped over the railing, turned on the thrusters for a moment of flight before she landed on the hull and started her long walk.

***

„There should be an electric grid in front of you,” Oluwasegun told her. „Twenty meters. About half kilometer wide. Wait. It looks disabled.”

„You seem to be more informed than I believed,” she answered. She let the program in her helm adjust the visuals, then, just in case and maybe also because she enjoyed it, bounced off the hull and turned on the thrusters to jump over the grid. She still had enough power to do it.

On the other side, she stopped for a moment to look at the spires indicating her destination. She heard distant humming: here the inner machinery of the station was close enough to the surface to be noticed.

Before she proceeded, she looked up.

And froze.

„’Segun...” she said slowly, noticing several objects in the distance,

„Something is wrong?”

„I see something coming here.”

„Ships come and go every time”

„Yes, I know, but, ‘Segun, these come from the moon. Remember what this avian said? I think somebody should be informed.”

There was a moment of silence in her comms for a short moment before he answered.

„I will inform the appropriate people. But it’s probably just a scheduled ship.”

She nodded, although she knew he was unable to see her.

He was right. Ships came to the station all the time, from various directions. She continued her march, avoiding suspicious places.

It was tiresome. The backpack felt heavy, although she was trained to carry even bigger weight. The silence in her comms got disturbing.

She looked up, towards the moon and approaching ship. Or ships. There were more of them, some bigger, some smaller, and there were approaching fast.

„I have a bad feeling about those,” she said. „’Segun? ‘Segun, are you there? I really think we should be concerned… Shit!” she ended with a curse when she noticed railguns coming to life and pointing their barrels towards the approaching flotilla. „I fucking knew this is bad. Why the hell now?!?”

„I see, Miko,” Oluwasegun’s voice was calm. „But you will do it. You can do it.”

„I can,” she repeated. This calm voice had a soothing effect and made her believe in herself more. She was able to do it, against the odds, her friend knew this, he believed in her… and that apparently the station was going to be attacked? This had just caused Miko’s adrenaline levels jumping higher.

She bounced off the surface, turned the thrusters on to make her way shorter, then started to run – or rather doing the closest thing to running that was possible given the circumstances. The computer in her suit kept calculating: the distance from the destination point, the distance of the flotilla, both shrinking rapidly.

Now she was able to see the differences between the objects. There were two larger ships and several smaller flying objects, some kinds of mismatched flight craft. And they were fast, and they're going for the area she was in.

„No, fuck, no,” she said to herself. She gritted her teeth and proceeded to run, taking off the backpack with the device.

The railgun next to her started to fire, a flash of light, soundless explosion, as the series of projectiles left the barrels. Miko froze, stunned.

There was no mistake now. One of the larger ships stopped just outside the range of railguns, a hatch opened. A massive silhouette appeared inside, jumped off, another behind it, and another, sharp angles, metal surfaces, weapons ready. Smaller flying units started to change shape, magnificent, amazing, unlike anything else in the entire galaxy.

Transformers. Cybertronians.

Decepticons.

She now had no more doubts about what she was seeing. One of the attackers landed dangerously close to her, a moments before a red jet-like object, now a red robot with purple insignia on their chest.

Miko watched, silent, unable to even call Oluwasegun. She realized after seconds – too many, possibly – that she was in the center of the hell breaking loose.

„Fucking ‘Cons!” she screamed in the comms and turned the thrusters on again.

The red robot transformed his arm into a gun and pointed it at one of the railguns. Another soundless explosion. Flashing, bright. Miko didn’t hear it but she saw it and felt it. The wave from explosion pushed her midair, she rolled, before she was able to stabilize again and before she landed on the hull, magnets attaching her to the stable ground again.

„Miko, are you all right?” she heard over the comms. „There is a yellow alert all over the station.”

„I am...” she said, clutching the backpack, letting the computer calculate remaining distance. „Oh shit!” she exclaimed.

The red Cybertronian rose just above her, close, too close, and was looking at her, his face too close, dark silver planes, red glowing eyes.

She trembled.

The robot looked at her as if they knew what she was going to do, what purpose the device hidden in her backpack had.

„Shit, shit, shit!”

„Miko,” she heard this soothing, calm voice „Miko. Do it. You are close. You will make it. I believe in you.”

„Yes,” she answered and turned on the thrusters again.

Too close to go back now. Adrenaline buzzing in her veins, heart beating fast, fear and excitement: an intoxicating mixture.

They were here to free her target. But she was closer to fulfill her task than they were.

The red Cybertronian turned away from her and Miko noticed why: there were fighters coming, small units designed to defend the station. This was a full-fledged space battle now.

Miko stopped hesitating and just ran.

The last meters. The right point in front of her. Silent explosions behind her back.

„Miko,” Oluwasegun said to her. „You can do it. I am glad to have met you. I’m very sorry.”

„What?” She didn’t understand. What had he just said?... „’Segun? ‘Segun, what are you trying to say?”

But there was only silence over the comms.

Miko shook her head. No time to think about it. No time to worry about him, when the destination was so close. She landed in the right area. Placed here and turned on, the device was to send the impulse through the power lines, toward the generator and the prisoner. The right frequency, she remembered general Fireborn saying, developed exactly to make Megatron’s spark explode.

To end it once and for all.

The device was heavy in her hands. It clamped on the hull when she turned it on and the light blinked, indicating the device is ready to be fired.

Now was the time to back away.

Only there was a battlefield behind her, the Decepticon attackers defending themselves from the fighters and railgun fire.

She had no choice but to run and jump, turning the thrusters on and off again, one of her hands clutching the trigger device. She needed to get into a safe distance, only there was nowhere safe now.

In front of her, a blue Decepticon fell, just on the electric grid. She saw flashes, as the charge swept through the robot’ body that twitched in convulsion.

„Shit, shit, shit,” she now muttered to herself, since Oluwasegun was silent now. She had no time to think about what happened to him. Was he spotted and arrested? Was she in danger too?

Of course she was in danger, she was in the middle of a goddamn battlefield!

She just needed to fire the device. Now was as good as ever.

A large missile hit the surface close to her. Too close. The shockwave hit Miko just after she managed to jump up. This time she rolled for a longer time, the surface farther from her feet, harder to reach. She lost the grip on the trigger and for a moment she and the device floated apart before Miko managed to catch it again.

Shit, shit, shit.

She was floating farther above the hull than it was recommended.

Thrusters. She turned them on, trying to stabilize herself, to reach the hull, desperately trying to position the triggering device in her hand so she was able to push the button.

Another explosion sent another wave of heat and splinters towards her. Something hit her back, hard. She felt the pain and then she felt thrusters losing power.

To make things worse, explosion pushed her even farther away. She desperately tried to turn the thrusters off again, but the systems of her suit showed they weren’t working anymore.

Something flew just beside Miko, put her to spin again, she barely managed to stabilize herself. The battle continued around her and she had no idea who was winning.

„Whatever, suckers,” she said. „You’re not getting him.”

She pressed the button.

If the device went off or not – she didn’t know.

She was floating farther and farther away from the station. She saw the battle in perspective now, one of the shuttles exploding, debris flying all around. Some of this debris was, um, body parts. Mechanical body parts, but nevertheless. Someone's head flew next to her, almost as big, as her entire body, eyes lightless, pink glowing fluid dripping from the severed neck.

She looked at the dead Cybertronian in fascination. Not that she hadn’t seen a dead mechanical body before, but this was different, this was in a real battle and…

Another piece of debris hit her. She gasped with shock and pain, as it took her with her, carrying her even farther.

Good, she thought. I’ll be safer from the battle

Bad, she realized. Terribly bad.

She turned on her comms. They were short-range but should be enough for somebody to hear her.

„Mayday, mayday, this is cadet Nakadai Miko of United Earth Forces,” she tried.

No answer.

Where was Oluwasegun? What had even happened to him?

„’Segun, this is Miko, can you hear me? Mission accomplished, but I’m in trouble. ‘Segun, can you hear me? ‘Segun? Anyone?”

Silence.

She bit her lips.

She would not panic. The Council and probably everyone on the station was occupied with the battle, but sooner or later it will end and somebody will notice a single human being floating in space along with the debris, right?

Indeed, the battle was ending. It seemed that the remaining Decepticons decided to retreat. Some were dead. The one who fell on electric grid remained in place, possibly also dead.

At least this was a success.

And her mission. Her mission too was a success. If it wasn’t, what was even the point of all this?

She looked at the status of her suit. Thrusters were damaged and she lost most of the fuel. Oxygen containers were intact, luckily, but she was aware they had about two, maybe three hours at best to retrieve her before she starts suffocating. This was not promising at all, but she had some time left, and so she had hope. She was not sure about the comms though. They seemed to work, but there was no frequency available: like something was jamming the signals. That was bad, very bad.

She closed her eyes, tried to calm her body. This way she would be able to survive longer.

She was never good at meditation. Someone once recommended it to her, but meditating was annoying, and so was the expectation that as an Asian she should be good at it. Daydreaming was much, much better.

Her thoughts floated towards the abandoned base. Why was she thinking about it? Her childhood dream, she almost forgot over the years, now coming back to her.

There she is, entering the base, only it is not abandoned as she remembered it. There is someone there, devices and computers turned on. Someone should be here, waiting for her: Miko looks around in anticipation, waiting. They went away, but they will be back because they always are back.

And there is someone, the image blurred, but Miko sees the eyes. They are large and blue and glowing, and they look straight through her and they are sad and ancient and wise. And there is a voice speaking to her.

„Miko. I’m so very sorry. I’m not going to let you down, Miko.”

There was a voice indeed, in her comms.

Miko shook off this dream? Vision?

Yes, there was a voice in the comms, Oluwasegun’s voice. Miko’s heart jumped with joy.

„Miko, are you there? I’m coming for you.”

And then she saw it: a shuttle, similar to those Decepticons used during the attack, the hatch opened, a large silhouette standing in it. And before Miko managed to process what is happening, a big metal hand extended towards her, catching her.

She blinked.

There was a pair of glowing, blue eyes just above her.

„I’ve got you,” a voice said.

The hand that picked her up was blue; it was attached to a red and blue body – a Cybertronian’s body, and the symbols painted on his shoulders were red.

And she had seen this body and this colors on too many pictures and footages not to recognize it – only the face used to be covered by the mask that lacked on the one looking at her now.

But this must have been a dream, right?

The hatch closed behind them.

For a moment Miko stood on a giant hand looking straight into the glowing eyes. They weren’t human, but she saw the sadness in them, the same sadness she saw in Oluwasegun’s eyes and in her dreams.

She shook her head.

„Just who…?”

But she knew the answer already.

„I’m afraid I have no time for explanations now, Miko,” he said.

He put her down, looked deeper into the shuttle.

„How is he?” he asked somebody there.

„Stable,” the answer came.

„Good.”

„Not good,” the same voice, very angry, said. „Stable means: not dying at the moment. You saw him. I need my equipment and a secure comm line. And I need them now!”

„We are getting to the ship, Flatline. Now. Frenzy, take us from here!”

Miko looked farther inside the shuttle. It was probably quite small for Cybertronian standards but would make a decent ship for humans. Also, it could have been a robot itself, you never knew…

There were, as far as Miko managed to notice, just four mecha on board. The one who saved her. One, quite small for his race, piloting the shuttle. The one called Flatline who kneeled next to the last of them. This one lied, unmoving, limp, eyes glowing dimly like he was half conscious only. His eyes were red, his armor – silver with black and red accents: but there was almost no armor on his back, only exposed cables and wires, some of them sticking out in a way they supposedly shouldn’t.

She stared, again trying to process what she had just seen.

„The fuck is happening here!?” she finally exclaimed.

***

The shuttle docked at the exact moment when Miko hugged her companion and left for the airlock. This meant they had about two hours to get to the cell, break the locks and get Megatron out before the human soldier triggered the device. Two hours to open all the lock, detach the prisoner from the reactor without killing him, and that before the impulse designed specifically to cause an implosion in Megatron’s spark comes down the station systems.

„Too little time,” Flatline hissed. He was still nervous and kept saying they weren’t prepared enough and there should be more than just three of them. Asked if he trusts Soundwave, he confirmed but kept saying it anyway.

„I’m a medic, not a soldier!” he exclaimed as they still were on the shuttle. „I shouldn’t be here! I’m freaking out!”

This was a familiar pattern, exercised for all millennia of war and leadership. Optimus put his hand on Flatline’s shoulder, looked him deep in the optics.

„You were chosen for your competence,” he said. „Ratchet once told me that if someone can keep his calm during surgery, then they will have no problem calming down on the battlefield. And this is not a battlefield, I remind you.”

Flatline relaxed and nodded slowly.

„You’re right. And Soundwave… Soundwave always knows what he is doing. He has everything planned. He is the most effective mech I know. He knows what he is doing. Let’s go.”

„Finally,” sighted Frenzy, who was piloting the shuttle. „Good luck, glitches.”

The shuttle took off to take a position in their exit point, closer to the cell. If everything was to go as planned, one of Shatter’s mecha should provide additional diversion in the area – and the Council, station’s staff and inhabitants will be focused on the attacking Decepticons.

Of course, a Decepticon attack meant the station security would not only send some of their people to operate defense systems, but also they would double the guards around the cell. This was the standard procedure in such cases. Optimus and Soundwave both agreed this should be taken into consideration. Soundwave kept monitoring the systems and internal communication. For now, everything seemed calm. The first problems would start once the movement on the fractured moon will be noticed.

General Marissa Fireborn was in the meeting with the Council. This was the culmination of the negotiations Marissa participated in. The best possible moment for something to go wrong – too many Council members in one place and most of them had, according to Soundwave’s intel, their own enemies, grudges and problems that might have exploded. Those things had little, if anything, to do with Cybertronian politics; the station security was rather concerned with organic terrorists and assassins trying to target people participating in negotiations.

Entering the station docking area turned out to be relatively easy with the clearance prepared earlier. Cybertronians were a rare sight on the station, but not unseen. Flatline did not look suspicious and Optimus’ too recognizable appearance was concealed with camouflage nanites changing his frame’s color in green – this was enough, since most of organics had problems with recognizing mechanoids with features other then the colors of their plating. Additionally, the camouflage included some ornaments typical for Camien mecha. No insignia: they both were, in case anyone asked, neutrals, one of them from original Cybertron, the other from Caminus. This background always made things easier. Most council races didn’t like mechanoids, despised Cybertronians, but if you identified with one of two main factions… they just got extra cautious with you.

Optimus wondered how was Bumblebee doing here. He regretted being unable to greet him, to talk to him.

Oh, but he _could_ do this. He could break the cover, reveal himself. He could do this.

Only he chose not to.

On the surface, many floors and layers of steel from them, Miko was continuing her own walk. Datastream gathered and processed by Soundwave’s ship was sent directly to Optimus’ feed allowing him to monitor the human’s progress.

„There should be an electric grid in front of you,” he informed the human. „Twenty meters. About half kilometer wide. Wait. It looks disabled.”

„You seem to be more informed than I believed,” she chuckled in her comms.

She obviously wanted to talk to him. Was probably nervous. Expected her friend to support her.

But he had his own things to do.

They passed through the common area, close to the one restricted. Soundwave and his cassettes worked on the security systems for some time and they were now swapping the information, data feeds, views in security cameras with previously prepared ones. But even knowing this, both Optimus and Flatline stopped, once they saw a guard in front of the door leading to the restricted area around generators – and Megatron’s cell.

:Proceed: Soundwave transmitted.

The guard only nodded as they approached and the door slid apart without a sound.

„Another hologram,” Flatline muttered. „How many of them has he prepared?”

„Probably enough”.

:Shatter: on her way: they got information. :Proceeding systems override:

Flatline looked at the other mech.

„We don’t have much time and I don’t want to be in too much of a hurry,” he said.

Optimus nodded.

He had already been there, but now he finally saw the area from the proper perspective, most of the corridors matching his size. For his temporary human persona everything seemed to be enormous: the height, the distance…

This was originally a maintenance area. The gallery surrounding the cell was built to grant access to the reactor. The modifications were made in kind of a hurry; this was not a prepared prison, unlike this that, according to Council members Marissa Fireborn spoke to when she visited here, was already in works. The Council was aware of all weak points of the current cell. The new one, they stated, would be impenetrable.

This might have been an arrogant statement, but really, Optimus didn’t want to see the outcome. Something should be done while it still could.

He was not certain though, even now, what exactly should be done.

It would be too easy, now, to sabotage the operation. Of course, Soundwave would kill him then, but this would also be for the better. That’s how it should be: the two of them, dead. This was the only way to make the universe a safer place, to be sure of it.

He noticed that he was doing something his human persona almost had done last time: pressing his palm against the glass separating the gallery from the cell. The sight of Megatron’s frame on the other side was almost hypnotizing.

It was Miko’s voice that awakened Optimus from this trance.

„I have a bad feeling about those,” she said. „’Segun? ‘Segun, are you there? I really think we should be concerned… Shit! I fucking knew this is bad. Why the heck now?!?”

This was Shatter’s mecha approaching. Miko must have seen them clearly now. He checked the feed.

„I see, Miko. But you will do it. You can do it.”

„I can,” she repeated after him.

Oh, she could, but could _he_?

„Will you help me or not?” Flatline asked, impatient and irritated.

The console next to the door was separated from all the other station systems, so Soundwave was unable to access it. He provided them with the hacking device, but it needed time to decrypt the code – and then Flatline needed time.

The medic looked nervously at the console, where the device blinked, then at the unaware prisoner behind the enforced glass, then at his datapad.

:Diversion forces in position.: Soundwave’s information came. :Station systems on yellow. Security procedures for inhabitants and personnel started:

:Too little time!: Flatline exclaimed on all comms, although at the same moment the decrypting device flared green and door to the cell opened.

:Better hurry up, medic!: It was Shatter. :Because I’m coming down! Dropkick is in position, taking care of your exit route.:

„Fucking ‘Cons!” screamed Miko at the same moment. Optimus needed to answer her.

„Miko, are you all right? There is a yellow alert all over the station.” He said to her, as he and Flatline were entering the generator chamber.

:I see your human, Orion: Shatter said. :Better hurry up, it looks determined.:

„Ooooh, Mortilus curse me, this looks awful!” Flatline was already by the prisoner. Megatron’s frame twitched slightly, eyes lit for a moment, like part of his systems noticed movement and someone’s presence, but the processors in his brain weren’t able to recognize what was happening.

He was limp, held in position only by the shackles and cables connecting his back to reactor.

Optimus had no time to think of the situation, no time to think what he should do and what he shouldn’t. He just acted.

Maybe that was why Soundwave in the end trusted him with this mission.

Flatline cursed the Galactic Council, their engineers, Primus and the Guiding Hand, as he started his work. This was a mess – this Optimus managed to notice. Megatron’s wiring was pulled out, some external cables were wired in, all of this made by someone, whose knowledge of Cybertronian anatomy was incomplete at best. Fuel and power lines were detached, spark chamber was exposed, open, and re-wired.

This can kill him, Optimus thought and he didn’t know if what he felt was more fear or more hope. He held the limp body of his former archenemy - it felt surprisingly light.

Meanwhile, Miko closed to the destination point, despite the battle raging above her.

:Frenzy in position: Soundwave informed. :Status?:

:Close. Close enough. Frag it!: Flatline cursed.

There was another wire cut. Megatron’s body twitched and made a sound – pain? Was he able to feel pain now? The Council stated they kept him sedated, but how successful they were, without the help of someone really knowing Cybertronian medicine?

:We have him: Flatline messaged Soundwave.

:Opening maintenance hatch. Station security forces on the move. Optimus, Flatline: hurry.:

Somewhere outside Miko cursed.

„Miko. Do it. You are close. You will make it. I believe in you.” Optimus told her.

Megatron’s frame sagged in his arms. Hadn’t he done it once, carrying his enemy like this? Didn’t it happen in the past? He was not sure.

„After you,” he told Flatline who nodded and headed for the maintenance hatch.

Miko was close, so close. Optimus hoped she would make it – and he regretted it, regretted how she was used and endangered, one of the few actual casualties of the operation.

„Miko, you can do it. I am glad to have met you. I’m very sorry.”

He shouldn’t have said that, but he shouldn’t have lied to her anyway, he shouldn’t have allowed her to be used like this. She deserved better.

But if she was lucky, she would return to her team believing she was a hero.

She called Oluwasegun Pretorius over the comms. Optimus broke the connection.

Maintenance hatch closed behind them.

:Initiating system blockades: Soundwave's message came. :Status?:

:We are in the maintenance corridor: Flatline answered. :Going straight to the exit point.:

:Shatter, report.:

:Having fun here!: Shatter answered. :Human has planted the device, is backing off now. Oh, scrap!:

:What happened?: Optimus asked.

:Your human was hit. Seems to be online though. Has the trigger and… wait for it. Well, hurry up!:

She didn’t have to say it twice. They hurried.

Somewhere behind their back an explosion sounded, muffled by several layers of walls.

Miko completed her task.

:Soundwave, casualties?: Optimus asked.

The master spy must have expected that because he replied immediately.

:Estimated: three fighter pilots dead or wounded. Two wounded members of station security. Seven of Shatter’s Decepticons.”

Too many, Optimus thought. Though not as many, as he was afraid. Was it even worth it? For anyone? What had he done?

There was still no time to think. The shuttle waited at the maintenance exit, the hatch opened, Frenzy looking at them from the inside.

„So you did it? Wow. Never expected you will actually do it, Pri… oh, well.” he smirked at Optimus, who ignored it.

:We are retreating: came from Shatter. :I cannot see your human, Orion. Sorry.:

Should he turn the comms back again? Miko… if something happened to Miko… He cared for her more than for those anonymous soldiers and Decepticons. Because he would be a hypocrite, if he didn’t realize, that over the millennia he sacrificed many anonymous living beings, mechanical and organics alike, often to save just one of his friends.

But never, never – for his enemy.

He opened the comms, just to listen, to search for Miko’s frequency. It was there, active, and he heard the human calling for help, trying to be brave, although her voice broke.

„Mayday, mayday, this is cadet Nakadai Miko of United Terran Forces. ‘Segun, this is Miko, can you hear me? Mission accomplished, but I’m in trouble. ‘Segun, can you hear me? ‘Segun? Anyone?”

She was calling for her friend, who was silent and was never going to answer.

Optimus went to Frenzy, looked at the screens and outside the front window of the shuttle.

They were leaving the station behind. The place, where the battle took place was another way.

„Frenzy. Turn back.”

„What?” Soundwave’s symbiont exclaimed. „What the frag!? Boss, can you hear that?”

„Affirmative,” spoke Soundwave through the comms.

„I need a favor, Soundwave. I need to go back and pick up Miko.”

„We cannot go back!” Flatline protested. He kneeled over Megatron, who was still unresponsive, hands deep in his mechanisms. „I need to get to my equipment!”

„Soundwave, can you change the route and pick us up at these coordinates? How much time would it take? Can you estimate it? Is it possible for us to do it?” Optimus asked, sending the master spy the proposed route.

„Conditions: acceptable. Optimus: in debt with Soundwave. Again.”

„I took it into consideration,” Optimus said.

Being in debt with Soundwave was not the worst thing that could happen. And Miko deserved to live, no matter, that she was going to learn how she was tricked and used.

The shuttle turned around, flying over the station. The fighters were now pursuing Shatter’s team – this was part of a plan, Shatter wasn’t going to gather her forces again, or rather not right away.

Over the station, a cloud of debris floated. Pieces of the damaged hull, destroyed fighter with dead organic inside, exploded Decepticon shuttle. Optimus noticed two Cybertronian corpses, one of them sprawled on the surface, caught in the electric grid, the other dismembered, splashes of energon frozen in the void.

He opened the comm channel, ordering Frenzy to track the signal.

„I’m not going to let you down, Miko,” he said. She should hear him if she was active. He hoped she was. „Miko, are you there? I’m coming for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really obsessing over this artwork! Visit the artist on Tumblr ( https://theawkwardenthusiast.tumblr.com/ ) or Twitter ( https://twitter.com/itzenthusiasm ) to see more!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the fuck, Optimus?! - How to take care of an organic – Creative use of the airlock and the cupboard – I want to trust you – Soundwave’s losses – Dropkick’s fate – We are both alive

There was something wrong with Oluwasegun Pretorius, and Miko got the signals from the very beginning. Only she realized it just now, unable to connect all the puzzle pieces earlier.

But this was not the worst.

Discovering your friend is actually an alien is one thing – Miko didn’t really mind, quite the opposite, in other circumstances she would be over the moon. Discovering that she was helping to free the most dangerous being in the Galaxy – now that was a problem. And it made Miko furious.

She didn’t care if not-’Segun was really the person she suspected he might be. Of course, it could be awesome: the famed Cybertronian leader and hero, Optimus Prime himself, the one who sacrificed his life to save Earth and entire galaxy, back from the dead! - and it was she who discovered this…

Yes, it would be awesome. If not for the circumstances.

So she looked at the mech as if she wanted to kill him. She probably wouldn’t be able to do this, but - fuck it!

„What the fuck is happening here?!” she exclaimed.

The mech probably couldn’t see her pursed lips and furious eyes, obscured by the helmet. She didn’t care.

Everything she cared for was an explanation.

The mech named Flatline cursed – she suspected it was a curse.

„Frag! I need assistance! Optimus, help me!”

Oh, hearing this name, having her suspicions confirmed, made Miko even more furious.

„Don’t you fucking ignore me!” she screamed. „You asshole! You fucking traitor! You...” her mind was picking up what she knew about Optimus Prime. „You sorry excuse for a truck!”

But the mech already knelt on the floor, asking Flatline what he should do. So Miko followed him, trying to make him pay attention…

And stopped. There was a pair of red eyes looking at her.

Shit.

Red eyes blinked. The mech they belonged to moved and made a sound… several sounds, actually, electronic, metallic, screechy. She had no idea what they meant, but the only sound she wanted to hear from Megatron was that of a dying robot.

She hoped so much he was dying.

She had no idea what Optimus and Flatline were doing with Megatron’s back and all those wires sticking out. But when Optimus leaned his face toward the one of Decepticon leader – this she understood, especially the words he said:

„Don’t you dare to die. If I live, so must you.”

„Die, you heap of scrap,” Miko muttered. Screaming meant wasting her reserves of oxygen, and she had no idea if her saviors/captors understood she needed to breath. She didn’t expect this ending well for her, but fuck, she didn’t want to die. If she died now, it wouldn’t be fair! For her and for everyone.

Oh, the universe was cruel enough, wasn’t it? She believed her life was at last as it should always be and now… now, this.

She sunk on the shuttle floor, under the wall, in the hope no one stomped on her. They ignored her anyway, right?

She wanted to cry, which was embarrassing. She was a grown woman, a soldier, goddamit!

Only she had just lived through more stress than ever in her life. She lost a friend – who never existed – learned that she was tricked, failed her mission, witnessed a space battle and almost died. And the person, who saved her life…

The person, who saved her life now leaned toward her, enormous head just above her, concerned bright blue eyes, that made her want to trust him with her life: even now and that was horrifying.

She looked into those eyes.

„What?”

„Miko. I understand how you feel. You need a longer explanation, for which we might have not time right now. But remember how we discussed if what Marissa was planning was right? How you yourself had doubts?”

„It was still better than freeing him!” she shouted.

„Can you make this organic silent?” the pilot demanded. „It squeaks and squeaks and I cannot concentrate on the flight.”

Miko ignored that and so did Optimus.

„I understand you,” he told her.

„So why did you do it? Do you want another war?”

„There won’t be another war.”

She wanted to believe this and this was infuriating. The same feeling she had when she was looking at Oluwasegun - that she trusted him and needed to trust him, no matter what. This insane charisma: she thought that this was an unlucky accident that Oluwasegun ended in his position when he should become a leader. Now she knew what the reason of it was.

And it still worked on her, despite them being two so very different species. But as she recalled what she had known, he had this effect not only on his own kind.

„I would like to believe you,” she admitted. „I just don’t know if I can.”

„I hate to interrupt you, but we are approaching the _Echo_,” the pilot said.

Miko was unable to see what was outside, but she expected something enormous – for human scale, again – above them. She saw some footage of both Autobot and Decepticon flagships. They were insane in their measurements, well, not as big, as the Citrix station, but much bigger than any human spaceship would ever be.

In other circumstances, Miko would be excited to visit one of those.

The shuttle shook, as it landed inside the bigger ship. The hatch opened.

There were two mecha outside, one identical to the shuttle pilot, except for the color scheme, the other one significantly bigger, dark blue, purple Decepticon symbol adorning the large glassy surface of his chest. A mask and a yellow visor obscured his face.

He ignored her, of course, giving orders, looking to his damaged leader. She stood there, forgotten again.

„Fuck you all!” she screamed, just to remind them that she was there.

Something grabbed her from behind. Hands bigger than those of any human being, harder and stronger. One of those smaller mecha, the blue one. Miko squirmed in his arms.

„Let me go, you toaster!”

He laughed – yes, this was laughter that left his mouth – and dragged her behind him.

„Boss, I believe we have an infestation,” the mech called to the one who was apparently his superior. „What should we do with this?”

„Human soldier: belongs to Optimus,” the larger Decepticon said.

„Yeah,” Miko muttered „Thanks for recognizing this detail. But I will suffocate soon anyway.”

„Frenzy: take the human to the ambulatory,” the Decepticon said.

„Right away, boss!” his subordinate said.

Well, at least the ambulatory was now the point where everyone gathered – and Optimus, once he helped Flatline to put Megatron on a medical bed – or however Cybertronians called such things, Miko had no idea whatsoever – noticed again she was here.

„Miko, are you all right? Frenzy, let go of her.”

His voice was demanding. This was an order like he had the right to give the orders here.

Who was in charge actually? What kind of alliance was this? Flatline didn’t have any insignia, which seemed a bit weird.

Another thing to ask later.

„I’m not alright,” she said. „I have oxygen left for…” She looked at her readings. „Half an hour. Maybe. At best.”

If she stopped screaming and fighting.

„Soundwave, we need an oxygen mixture for her to breathe,” Optimus said to the large blue mech.

Great. Soundwave. The Decepticon master spy himself. Great. This day couldn’t get any better apparently.

„And an airtight room to place her in,” Optimus added.

„There is an isolation chamber back then” Flatline pointed at something that looked like a cupboard. Cybertronian scale cupboard. „I won’t need it and it should do.”

„So now you want to put me in a box?” Miko protested.

Optimus looked at the isolation chamber and frowned.

„I made requirements once for Autobot ships to have a proper infrastructure in case there was a need to take an organic on board,” he said.

„Decepticon ships also have a proper infrastructure,” Frenzy said, grinning at Miko. „It’s called the airlock.”

She looked at him, trying to give him a murderous glance through the glass of her helmet.

„I’ll take the box, thank you very much. You will have to decide what to do with me anyway, because, in case you didn’t know, I have to eat and drink, and there are other processes in my body that you can find uncomfortable.”

„I am aware of it,” Optimus said. „And I will do my best. This is not what was planned and this is just a temporary solution. I’ll see that your oxygen container is filled so that you are able to go out.”

Miko sighed. She had no other choice but to do what they told her.

From her new position she was able to watch Flatline working and hated every single moment of it. She heard him consulting with someone who was not on the board, she heard a lot of sounds and noises she was not able to properly understand. She still hoped one of them would be Megatron finally dying.

She sat leaning against the cold glass. Being able to breathe without a helmet was a relief, but it didn’t solve her other problems.

Optimus came back. He stopped by Flatline and his patient for a brief moment and then he concentrated all his attention on Miko.

„This was not planned. And I’m terribly sorry for that.”

„Yeah, whatever.” She sat with her knees pulled under the chin. This wasn’t exactly comfortable in a suit. „You are sorry. You told me this like, ten times? I get it. You apologize. But I still don’t know why. Why did you do it and why the hell are you helping Decepticons? And Megatron, of all beings in this fucked up the universe! Because, hell, I might not know you and most of what I heard are probably legends and propaganda, but from what I do know you are supposed to be the good guy. More or less.”

„It’s complicated, Miko.”

„Well, yeah, people are complicated. Mechanical people too, I guess. This doesn’t explain...”

„You told me you watched footage of Megatron’s trial.”

„I tried. Didn’t understand much.”

„There were my friends there. Mecha I trusted. They were defending Megatron. There were the mecha from the parallel universe who didn’t understand what was happening, for whom Megatron was the hero.”

„But you weren’t there,” she pointed out.

„I was not. I was dead at the time.”

Miko frowned.

„So at least this was not a lie?”

„It was not. I died. There was an anomaly that reconstructed me. Soundwave found me and asked for my help. And believe me, Miko, I’m still not sure if what I did was right, but I don’t expect Megatron being eager to conquer the galaxy again. And if I’m wrong, then I’ll be ready to bear the consequences of this mistake.”

She was silent for a moment, looking at the large face on the other side of the glass.

„Why do I want to trust you so much?” she asked. „I felt it instantly when I met you, before I knew who you were and what you were. You might be the most charismatic person I’ve ever met and I should be scared: of this, of what you had done… but I’m not. I just want to trust you, no matter what. Is this wrong?”

He shook his head.

„This is weird, Miko. I shouldn’t have this effect on you. I had it on some of my kind, but that was in the past when I had still... And you are human. I’d be alarmed if I were you.”

It was genuine, she judged. He was concerned and honest about it. This sadness she saw in Oluwasegun was still true in Optimus. And she wanted to believe it all. She had to choose something, hadn’t she? And this was probably the best choice, given the situation.

„I have no idea what to think,” she admitted. „The point is I believe you. You lied to me, but on the other hand, I liked to work with ‘Segun. He was such a good guy. Sad and alone… This was all true, you said to me, about loneliness, about having no one, about your friend and his… husband?” Shit, did it mean Cybertronians had the concept of marriage or something close to it? „Your depression, this is also true, right? I wanted to help ‘Segun.” She smiled but felt tears gathering in her eyes. Stress, she thought. „I believed I could help him, but I guess I cannot help you. But I can at least believe that you know what you are doing, even if I don’t get it.” She sighed, looked at the mech lying on this equivalent of a bed. „So, how is he doing?”

„Flatline needs to reattach main power lines and that is a mess.”

„Not that I know anything about this… but you apparently need him for something, so…” Miko shrugged. „Listen, I don’t want to be rude, I appreciate you saving my life, hell, I even appreciate Decepticons not trying to kill me on sight, although I expect they are rather not pleased with my presence, especially when I tried to kill their leader; but you are aware that I need more than air to survive, aren’t you? And it would be nice to go back one day. Well, general Fairborn is going to kill me, and then she will start hunting you, so this might be not the best choice after all… But the point is I cannot stay here.”

„I know. I’m not going to let you be harmed.”

***

They made it.

Soundwave smiled under his mask. The medbay was quiet, almost dark, only several devices monitoring Megatron’s state were online. The human soldier sat curled inside the isolation chamber, possibly recharging. Soundwave understood the sentiment that made Optimus return for her. He also understood the complications.

But the human was not a priority now.

He approached his unconscious commander. There was still a cocktail of sedatives circulating Megatron’s fuel systems. Flatline stated that he wasn’t sure what was in the mixture and how will it affect Megatron’s functions. He performed tests and analyses and was waiting for

Results. Whatever this was, it was terribly strong. Flatline considered emptying fuel systems and replace all the fluids, but that would have to wait for the moment when he was sure he wouldn’t do any damage this way.

But – Megatron was alive.

Soundwave leaned towards the medical berth. He had seen his master in critical condition before – many, many times. Every time he kept his calm, not betraying his emotions. Every time it hurt and every time – it hurt more.

He tried not to occupy his processors with this thought.

He lost many mecha that were close to him. Ravage and Laserbeak, Cosmos, of whom he was… fond. The other members of Decepticon high command whom he considered… friends, somehow, maybe, although it was hard to maintain friendly relations with mecha such as Shockwave or Starscream. But they had fought side by side for millennia. And now all this was gone.

Having Megatron back was a gift. Soundwave wasn’t going to let go of this.

He was aware that some of the things he felt should remain hidden. He expected nothing. He never expected impossible things. He was loyal, competent and faithful, to the very last moment. Starscream and Shockwave had their own agendas, always, they schemed, betrayed, although they always returned (well Shockwave not exactly). Soundwave was Megatron’s shadow. Always.

The problem was he had no idea what should come next.

Oh, he had plans for rebuilding his community. Only he had no idea what his former master would do. If he would even thank him for the rescue.

“I will wait,” he said. His hand hovered over Megatron’s faceplate, too far to touch, no courage to do it. So close, but still so very far. “I don’t regret it. I regret nothing, as you taught me. Even if you have regrets now, I still have none, and I will never regret saving you.”

There was a twitch in Megatron’s frame, a little change in the brightness of his eyes before they become dim and then switched off again.

Soundwave stood up, looked at the monitoring devices, then at the human again. The little soldier now observed him, one of her hands pressed against the glass.

When Soundwave first came to Earth, he was ready, as every Decepticon was, to kill every organic on his way. Now, a couple of years, battles and complicated alliances later, he considered some humans to be acceptable. That was more than what he could say about most of the organic beings, especially members of the Galactic Council.

And he didn’t trust Marissa Fireborn. No one should trust her. Not than Soundwave didn’t admire or respect her, but trust wasn’t the best idea when interacting with this human. Well, maybe except when one was Thundercracker, but that relationship was absurd in its own way.

At any rate, Soundwave had no reasons to trust Marissa’s little soldier either.

The human withdrew to the corner of the isolation chamber. She was watching him all the time. The reaction of a scared prisoner. Soundwave had seen too many times.

„Human: concerned,” he stated.

The human snickered.

„What do you expect? Your subordinate wanted to throw me through the airlock. And I don’t expect you will let me go eagerly.”

„Affirmative.”

Marissa’s little soldier snickered once more.

„Wow. You are just… wow. You speak like an actual robot. I mean, when you are talking to the others. Not to him, I guess.”

She must have heard what Soundwave was telling Megatron. Soundwave wasn’t pleased with the fact he overlooked this. Fortunately, he didn’t say anything too compromising.

Besides, he still hoped the human could be neutralized.

„Hey, it was you, right? You had sent the spy drone. Holy shit, you wanted it to be found, right? So that the general trusted Op… your agent.”

There was almost admiration in the human’s voice.

It would be interesting to be able to read organic minds as he was able to read other mecha, but the mass forming human brains emitted waves that although recognizable for him were too weak and too distorted to interpret. If he could read the little soldier, it would be so much easier.

„This was awesome,” she continued. „I mean, scary, but exciting. I heard about you. Stories. I guess you know all of it. I’m honored to meet you. And, thanks to you, I finally did something exciting, so thanks, I guess? I’m not thanking you for not allowing me to save the galaxy and be a hero, though.”

Soundwave looked at her for a longer time, calculating.

Maybe she wouldn’t need to be neutralized.

:Hey Soundwave: he received a transmission from Shatter. :I’m on my way. How’s the situation?:

:Stable.:

:Means you are not getting eaten by scraplets right now. Good. At least one thing is good.:

He left the med bay, giving his former leader one last glance.

Shatter was alone and upset. She didn’t hide the latter.

“Frag it,” she muttered, as the airlock shut after her and she was able to return to her root mode.

“Where is Dropkick?” Buzzsaw asked.

“Still on the station. They were paralyzed, then their comms went off. Frag it.”

Buzzsaw cocked his head, looked at Soundwave, then at Shatter.

“Well, this is what I was talking about,” he said.

“Dropkick: dead?”

Shatter growled.

“Captured. They send me this message before the squishes offlined their comms. They will try to use Dropkick to get to us, and Dropkick knows. They won’t tell anything, they are tough, and I don’t think the fleshbags can do worse than Functionists already did to us, but… I don’t want Dropkick to suffer.”

“Dropkick will be retrieved,” Soundwave said.

“Thank you. How is he?”

“Megatron’s status: good. Repairs in progress.”

Shatter sighted, relieved.

“At least those are good news. Any other losses?”

“Negative. Everyone on board in a good state.”

“And Optimus didn’t fail us. See? You knew it from the beginning.”

“Shatter: should stop analyzing that.”

She shrugged.

“Whatever. I need to talk to that slagger. Optimus, I mean. He needs to learn one interesting story about one Orion Pax...”

***

There was consciousness in Megatron’s eyes. Red lights still were dim, but this time they actually focused on Optimus’face. And then there was a voice:

„It’s you. Of course, it’s you.”

The voice was weak, like Megatron’s vocalizer didn’t get enough power to function properly. It let out a sound that might have been an attempt of laughter.

„I am dead. We are dead together.”

Megatron sounded like he was happy.

He must have wanted death when they took his back plating off and connected the wires to the reactor. He must have wanted death, believing it would end everything. Death meant peace and Optimus understood this.

They were both robbed of their deaths.

„We are both alive”.

Megatron’s eyes offlined, then onlined again. There was a disappointed sight coming out of his mouth. Then he looked at Optimus again.

„Why?” he asked. „Why are you here then?”

What should Optimus say? That he himself wasn’t sure?

As he turned to leave, he noticed Shatter at the door. She was smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a series of small crises (it's been a long time since I published a multichapter online. It's the first time I wrote a multichapter in English.) and my insecurities activated, but my lovely friends helped me to put it all in perspective. And... it's not bad. It's very good in fact, especially for an unknown author writing in her second language.  
And even if I doubt in myself, I see all the attention I'm getting: every kudos and every subscription, every pageview. I'm still feedback starved, but I guess this is a default not only for me. So, just, thank you for giving this story a chance. There is still over a half ahead and I hope you will enjoy it.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orion Pax, part 2 – Solving problems with hostage exchange, part 1 – How do you talk to an alien warlord (whom you tried to assassinate) – Galactic Council’s peacekeeping forces - Aliens don’t have patience – Quantum anomalies, part 2

“I was right about you”

Shatter was smiling, but there was some nervousness in her  body language .

“Is Dropkick all right?” Optimus asked. No matter what Shatter wanted to tell him, the fact her amica was not around was disturbing.

As he expected, smile disappeared from Shatter’s face.

“They were captured,” she said. “Actually, I wanted to discuss this with you too.”

“Then we should start with that. Your amica must be retrieved.”

“Soundwave promised me the same,” Shatter said. “Not that Dropkick will ever tell them what happened. Worse people that those stupid squishies tried to make them comply,” she smirked. Remarkable, given the situation. “They are mostly dead now, and we will hunt the rest once we leave here.”

Optimus twitched at her last words. It was too familiar, this wish for vengeance, no matter how much the Functionists of other universe hurt the two triple changers.

He always opposed unnecessary violence.

But was really this violence unnecessary, or did just his programming associated it with the symbol Shatter painted on her plating?

And yes, he could say he opposed the unnecessary violence, but who decided the violence was unnecessary? He had thought his whole life he knew where the boundaries were. And then he got lost.

He just shook his head.

Shatter blinked.

“What? You don’t approve, I know, I know… You are just like him.” She smirked again. “But then, he never told us what to do.”

“Orion.”

“Of course.”

So many questions. Not all of them could be answered by Shatter, and that was probably the most terrifying.

“I still don’t get it,” she continued. “How did it come to all of this; I mean, when I observed Megatron with Orion it was like they were close, closest friends ever… Well, no, Terminus was Megatron’s closest friend, with Orion it was something… Something that makes me wonder now when I know more about you, what it was really between you two?”

“We tried to kill each other. Almost succeeded several times.”

Only it was not like this. Not only this and Optimus knew it. Megatron had told him once, that they know each other better than anyone else. And no matter how much Optimus wanted to deny this – he was right.

It was a long dance – that required anticipating the opponent’s moves, preempt them, answer every attack, retaliate when the blow hit. It forced them to learn the patterns of each other’s behavior.

“You don’t risk like this for someone you hate.”

“I don’t hate him.”

Not anymore.

“But you were afraid you would kill him.”

“And I was wrong. You were right.”

Oh, how much he wanted to leave.

He did what he was expected to. Now he could leave and never see those mecha again.

Never see Megatron again.

He should have done it. He should have – he shouldn’t have waited for his former enemy to wake up. Not to see him, not to speak to him, never ever again. But it was too late.

“You don’t like it,” Shatter noted. “That you were right. Really? You two should just sit and talk.”

It was not that Shatter wasn’t right, but it was never so easy – just sit and talk, just solve all the problems. They were never good at talking to each other, not that they have many chances to do it. But even if they had the best they could achieve was a long, uncomfortable silence.

“I will remember that,” he said. Shattered snickered again. “Now we have a more important issue. Dropkick.”

“Yeah, this. I’ve heard your little human is on board. Unfortunate, huh? I did my best not to harm it, but you know how it is...”

“Miko was not harmed, only drifted too far from the station. But Dropkick...”

“They fell to the electric grid.”

Optimus recalled seeing a mech sprawled on station’s surface. They were too far away to see in details and now he regretted not recognizing Dropkick.

“The point is,” Shatter continued, “your human needs to be returned, somehow, because I’ve already heard killing it is out of the question. All right, I respect that. So, we can just give it in exchange for Dropkick.”

Hostage exchange. Not the method of solving problems Optimus preferred but Shatter’s suggestion sounded reasonable.

Not that he expected ever giving a human in exchange for a Decepticon.

“I’d like to talk to Miko first.”

“Your human doesn’t have much choice.”

“She had seen Megatron.”

Shatter frowned.

“All right,” she agreed. “That makes things complicated. Can you convince her somehow?”

Her. So Miko stopped being an “it”. Not every Decepticon cared about using proper pronouns for organic creatures.

Shatter was, Optimus reminded himself, not a typical Decepticon.

“I’m working on it.”

“I really wish to know how it happened you two ended on opposite sides… You should be...” Shatter shook her head.

Should be what? What wasn’t she saying? What had she kept for herself? Why was it so terrifying?

“Shatter, you had told Megatron and Orion were close. How close exactly?”

She smiled and now it was not a mocking smirk.

“I can only have my suspicions. Ask Megatron, once he is fully online. Really. Ask him.”

Optimus wanted to push farther, but he was stopped by Soundwave’s message over the comms.

“To all mecha abroad. We are being pursued.”

***

„So,” Miko said. There were two of them in the med bay: Megatron and her. She never expected to find herself in such a situation, she behind the glass and the legendary warlord outside. The fact said warlord was still not able to kill her helped, only a little. Mikos imaginations showed her images of those red eyes flaring with rage, clawed hands reaching for her.

What was interesting, those fantasies rarely ended with Miko’s death. She rather fantasized about outsmarting and outrunning her enemy – even with her killing him. Somehow.

But, for now, she was not in danger.

„So. I hope you don’t have hard feelings or something. I tried to kill you. Like, actively. But then again, at least one more person on this ship tried to do the same, so… He seems to like you. In a way.”

She did not expect being heard, but yet – this horrible red eyes blazed and for a moment Miko froze, expecting the worst. But they were not filled with madness and violence. In fact, they were very, very like Optimus’ eyes: tired and sad.

Miko shivered.

„What are you doing here?” Megatron asked.

„Hoping you won’t kill me”

He laughed.

Miko was not sure how to understand all the differences in sounds Cybertronians made, because some of those sounds were definitely engines and moving mechanisms, and for her, they had no more meaning than an ordinary engine, but there were differences in sounds made by the vocalizers that were actually noticeable for a human being. So she had the impression that this laughter was very tired laughter of someone who had lost lots of energy lately. Not an evil laughter at all.

Well, that was a good sign, right?

„I’m in no position to kill you,” he remarked.

„Well, neither am I now. But I did my best.”

„And you are proud of it.”

„Of course I am! I was trying to save the galaxy!”

There was another short burst of tired laughter.

„This is why you are locked there?”

„No. It’s because I need oxygen, and the isolation chamber is hermetic enough.”

„Oh. Right.”

It was absurd and Miko was fully aware of it. She was fascinated though of where this talk might lead them. And bored. Oh yeah. Sitting in the isolation chamber was even more horrible than waiting for the ship to reach the station.

„So” she started again after a loner moment of uncomfortable silence. „It seems you are alive and free. Any plans?”

Like conquering the galaxy, she almost said, but hesitated. This would be too much and Megatron apparently already knew what she was thinking about.

He said nothing. The silence fell heavy and no matter how hard Miko tried to look away, she could not. This might have been extremely impolite – she had no idea, no savoir-vivre guidelines explained how one should behave when you are kind of stuck with an evil alien leader whom you tried to assassinate.

Miko chuckled nervously at the thought of a manual describing such a situation.

„No plans, I guess? Probably good. Optimus said I shouldn’t be worried about you causing another war. I hope he was right.”

***

„I don’t want to worry you, boss, but it seems we are followed. Just look.” Rumble pointed at the monitors. A medium-sized ship sat on _Echo_’s tail. Not as big, as the famous _Benign Intervention_, but unmistakably, one of council’s peacekeeping forces vessels, patrolling the area. Now, after the attack, they must have been extra cautious and followed all the unidentified ships.

The initial plan was that they would leave the system immediately. Optimus’ decision to return for the human delayed the departure – and so did the news od Dropkick’s capture.

No one had said everything needed to go smoothly and without problems. In fact, Soundwave was surprised that the complications started so late.

Yet he really wasn’t pleased with this development.

„Unfortunate,” he said to himself rather than to his symbionts and allies present on the bridge.

„They must have noticed us when we stopped for the human,” Rumble suggested, looking over his shoulder to smirk at Optimus. „Well, not that we didn’t expect trouble, right?”

Shatter groaned, displeased. In her field, Soundwave noticed growing restlessness.

„Aaaand they try to call us,” Rumble remarked. „I put it through” 

„Attention, unidentified ship,” the voice called. „This is captain Attu Zovvosk from the Galactic Councill peacekeeping forces ship _Steadfast Progress_. We are pursuing the forces that attacked the Citrix station. You were seen in the area after the attack. Identify yourself and allow us to check your permissions and routes or we will treat you as hostiles.”

“What are our chances, if we agree to their terms?” Optimus asked.

“You can’t be serious!” Shatter exclaimed. “They will want to enter the ship and search it!”

“You can’t be so sure. Besides, they are looking for mecha that attacked the station, but not for Megatron.”

“They will find a damaged mech and enough Decepticons to want to stop us!”

“Soundwave. They asked for our routes and permissions. I guess you have some documents?”

“Affirmative. However, letting the Council’s forces on board is a risk.”

“What alternatives do we have?”

“Fight them, right now,” Shatter proposed.

“This is not an option. We are outnumbered and I don’t think we have enough weapons,” Optimus protested.

“So we let them in and let everything go straight to the Pit?! We have gone too far, we cannot let it be wasted! I didn’t risk so much for Megatron being dragged to the cell again! Dropkick didn’t get captured for this!”

“And how do you think fighting would end? We have a chance if we negotiate. We have no chances if we take them on.”

“Unidentified ship, once again, this is captain Attu Zovvosk from the patrol ship _Steadfast Progress_ of the Galactic Council Peacekeeping forces. You are not recorded in our transit lists, provide the permissions and route plans or face the consequences.”

The alien’s voice was commanding.

Soundwave estimated quickly the situation. This sounded like the last warning – there would not be another before they would attack. Chances the Council’s forces recognized the ship as a Cybertronian vessel were high.

“We negotiate,” he decided. “Flatline: back to the med bay. Prepare camouflage.”

“You can’t be serious!” Shatter protested. 

Meanwhile, Optimus reacted as was the most reasonable, activating the nanites that again turned his coloring to green paint and Camien ornaments. Soundwave didn’t even suggest anyone else negotiate. Optimus had the charisma and necessary experience, including negotiations with organics.

Shatter on the other hand was not happy with the outcome.

“Blow it and you will have your wires outside your plating,” she hissed.

“We will get out of this, Shatter, I promise. We will get out and we will retrieve Dropkick. Put us through, Soundwave. Give me the documents.”

Soundwave nodded and began transferring files.

Then several things happen at once.

First, he felt Rumble getting tense.

“Boss…” the Symbiont said, just after this. “They are…”

The next thing was a sudden shock running through the ship’s structure and the security systems sounded an alarm.

Shatter let out an angry scream.

“They are shooting at us!” Rumble exclaimed. “Initiating evasion protocols!”

“Put me through, Soundwave!” Optimus demanded as the ship avoided another hit.

The Council’s peacekeepers were less patient than Soundwave expected and they didn’t bother to issue a final warning before attacking. This probably had broken several procedures, but the crew of  _Steadfast Progress_ wouldn’t care. They attacked a suspicious Cybertronian ship that refused to comply: given circumstances, the Council would not ask any questions.

“This is Orion Pax from the _Echo_,” Optimus tried to call the other ship. “We will provide you all the necessary documents… Slag!” he ended with a curse, as no answer came, and the _Steadfast Progress_ fired for the third time.

“Are we going to open fire at them?!” Shatter shouted.

“Permission to fire, boss!” Frenzy seemed to be rather enthusiastic about the prospect.

Only Optimus was right: they had no chance in this fight.

“Negative. Evade and calculate an escape route.”

“We are close to Kaschig’s Field, boss,” Rumble informed. “Can we use this somehow?”

“What is Kaschig’s Field?” Optimus asked. He still had a hand on the communication console, but the screens and audio channels were not answering.

Meanwhile  _Echo_ sped up, but so did  _Steadfast Progress_ of course.

“An anomaly situated partially in the Citrix system,” Soundwave explained. “Origin: unknown. Nature: unclear. Any contact: unadvised.”

“Oh, just great,” Shatter muttered. “If you hadn’t…”

She stopped, as Optimus’ eyes locked with hers.

“A moment ago you said you trusted me,” he reminded her. “But you didn’t allow me to speak to them. They probably were just looking for an excuse to attack, but you never know. Now, Shatter, I promised to get us out of here and I intend to keep the promise.” He moved towards Rumble’s place at the controls. “Show me our position,” he demanded.

Shatter sighed. Soundwave felt hurt pride in her field, mixed with resignation and overlaying anger, but also with trust.

“He was damn right,” she muttered.

The map of the system appeared on one of the screens, including the current position of both ships.

Then the door to the bridge opened and Megatron entered, no camouflage, plates still stripped from his back, followed by Flatline and Miko, seated on medic’s shoulder.

***

Something banged loudly in the depths of the ship. Miko rose her head, listening. The other passenger of the med bay did the same – in fact, he rose a little, leaning on massive arms, eyes glowing with bright red, alarmed and cautious.

“What is happening?” Miko dared to ask.

“Something hit us.”

“That’s bad, I think?”

She reached to her jetpack and oxygen bottles, installing them again on the suit. She probably should thank Soundwave and his little mecha for helping with that. No matter how thanking a Decepticon was repulsive to her... But, in the end, she was surrounded by far too many of them to avoid common courtesy.

Well, shit.

She looked at her unlikely companion. He was sitting already, some of the cables linking him to external machinery detached.

“Hey, I think your medic would prefer you to stay down,” she pointed out “but since you’re up, could you maybe let me out of this chamber? You know – so that I had higher chances of survival… Not that I expect you to care, but Optimus…”

Red eyes blinked and Miko’s heart stopped for a moment. Maybe mentioning Megatron’s archnemesis was not a good idea…

But the warlord already stood in front of the isolation chamber. So close. Too close.

Miko froze. Bad, bad, bad idea.

“You should have your helmet on,” Megatron said slowly.

“Helmet. Right.”

She put it on and waited. The chamber’s door opened and there was no large, silvery hand extending towards her to crush her. Yet he stood unmoving over her; he was far too close for her comfort.

Damn. But she had to remember that he tried to conquer her planet – and that she tried to assassinate him. There was a kind of symmetry in that.

“Could you maybe, I don’t know, step back? A little? This is awkward.”

Another loud sound in the distance. The ship shook.

Megatron indeed stepped back – but not to allow Miko to get out, but towards the door. Miko saw his back, or rather the complete mess of exposed cables and machinery. There was something macabre about this, despite the fact, there were no organs familiar to a human being. But those cables dripped the same glowing liquid Miko saw on the severed head after the battle and sparked, like, a lot. This couldn’t be good.

Of course, he was going to ignore this and go to see what was happening.

Miko jumped out of the chamber, turned on the thrusters instantly.

“Where do you think you’re going?!” she shouted.

Shit, it didn’t matter who were the attackers; she just wanted to be where something was happening.

“Where do you think you’re going?” asked angry voice at the door.

The Cybertronian medic stood at the doorstep, throwing the former Decepticon leader angry glance.

“To the bridge” Megatron answered. “Out of my way, Flatline.”

Now that was anger. Flatline stepped aside.

“You are insane,” he muttered and Megatron laughed.

“Really, what did you expect?”

“That you’d be reasonable. At least a little.”

“Someone is attacking us and you expect me to lie down? Please, Flatline. As long my spark functions, I’ll be able to get up and fight if I’m needed.”

This was obviously an exaggeration, Miko thought, but she understood very well what Megatron meant.

Actually, she thought she might even admire him for this. Just a little.

Megatron ignored Flatline’s protests and proceeded towards the bridge. Miko followed him. Part of her mind was thinking about what should she put between all these cables to kill the Decepticon leader once and for all – the device she had at the Citrix Station should suffice, but it was wasted. Did General F aire born had a backup device? Miko regretted she didn’t get any.

Well, they would throw her out the airlock for sure then.

And to be honest, now she was not sure if the assassination was really such a good plan. But she needed to stay focused and analyze every possibility. She might have trusted Optimus – but she should be ready for every possibility.

***

“What is happening?” Megatron asked as soon as he entered the bridge. Flatline followed him – and Miko sat on Flatline’s shoulder.

Optimus thought he should actually expect such turn of events. Not that he was pleased with it. It happened before that Megatron and he worked and fought together in situations of greater danger for their race, and Optimus recalled that each time it happened he was mistrustful, but also sad – what kind of a horrible thing happened at the beginning that turned the philosopher and revolutionist Orion admired so much, into a power-hungry monster? He asked himself this question so many times he had lost count.

And now they were here, four millions of war, several deaths, one side change, two trials, one apocalypse and one jailbreak later.

Megatron was looking at him and Optimus suddenly felt the weight of their shared past.

But it was no time for thinking about this.

“We are being pursued by the Council.”

“Of course we are,” Megatron growled. “Because of Soundwave’s misguided decisions. I didn’t ask for the rescue. I’m willing to turn myself in.”

“We are not doing that,” Optimus protested.

“And we are risking the Council chasing us for the rest of our function, probably declaring war on our race, discrediting, of all mecha, you?”

“Oh fuck, this is fascinating!” Miko exclaimed. Everyone ignored her.

“As far as we know, they have no idea that you are on board.”

“This doesn’t change the situation. They are still attacking us, as I see, so even if they don’t know about me, they see some reasons to do this. And I appreciate the effort, but I didn’t ask for it. If I am to…”

“Anomaly on course,” Rumble interrupted. “Are we risking it?”

Space in front of the ship distorted, swirled with bright colors, only to get flat and reflective in the next moment, so they were able to see their own ship doubled, then quadrupled, then multiplied into infinity and then dissolving into a colorful whirlwind again.

It was unnerving. It brought back unpleasant memories.

“Risking what?” Megatron asked sharply.

“Cutting through it,” Shatter said. “Hide. I remind you the fraggers are shooting at us.”

“Brilliant! Let us hide in an anomaly we probably don’t understand, instead of doing what’s reasonable. This is Rodimus level of stupidity. Whose idea was this?”

He looked straight at Optimus as if he tried to throw an accusation towards the obvious target.

“It was suggested, but we are not doing this.”

“So why aren’t we jumping?”

“Because the fraggers have Dropkick!” Shatter exclaimed.”

“As much as I miss the old times and all the showdown between the big boss and the Prime,” Rumble interrupted, “we are being targeted again.”

He performed an evasion maneuver. The screens showed that the missile slid on the  _Echo_ ’s hull, leaving a scorching mark.

“Did you try to negotiate?” Megatron asked.

“We did,” Optimus answered.

“So you didn’t leave the remains of your common sense on the other side. Good.”

Optimus suppressed the urge to answer to those provocations – although saying something like “I missed you so much” was tempting.

Rumble cursed behind the navigation console.

“They are trying to chase us straight into this scrapfield, boss!” he shouted.

“Rumble: proceed evasion procedures,” Soundwave ordered. He remained calm in the chaos, his visor reflecting the streams of data flowing the screens. “Adjustments sent. Frenzy: operation turning point.”

The cassette started to laugh.

“Will do!” he exclaimed.

_Echo_ changed the course again. The shifting surface outside was now on the other side of the ship.

And the  _Steadfast Progress_ was between them and the anomaly.

Optimus didn’t need much time to understand what was going on.

“No!” he protested.

“Frag yes!” both twins said in unison.

The crew of  _Steadfast Progress_ must have noticed what is going on. They stopped aiming at the Cybertronian ship.

But now it was Frenzy who was aiming at the Council ship.

Before anyone tried to intervene, Frenzy fired.

_Steadfast Progress_ evaded, but Soundwave’s calculations were precise as always.

For a moment, there was a ship and a reflective “surface” behind it. Then, the “surface” distorted, opened and swallowed the ship.

Miko, who managed to climb on the console, let out a surprised yell.

Optimus turned his head to Soundwave. So did Megatron, and he too was angry.

“What…” they both started at the same time.

But before they managed to end the sentence, the entire ship shook.

The readings and visual feed on the screen started to change rapidly. The screen visualizing the space in front of the ship now showed the reflective surface, shifting into the whirlpool of colors and then into absolute darkness.

The anomaly swallowed them.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quantum anomalies part 3 – Aliens in danger – Negotiation – Trapped! - Miko gets a gun – A trip to the Council’s ship – The aliens have their issues, part 1 – Patience issues don’t help.

For a moment Soundwave had lost receptivity in all his sensory systems. There was no light and no sound, all the connections – to the ship’s data feed, to his own symbionts even – were muted and distant. There was nothing.

He felt like this once before: when he faced Unicron and most of his frame disintegrated.

Maybe because of this he felt a sting of fear. This was how death looked like. This was the taste of emptiness. No Afterspark: only the annihilation of everything he was.

Then reality returned.

He stood on the bridge of _Echo,_ surrounded by what should be called his crew. They all were alive, although he felt fear and shock in their fields. Anger, too.

He would be angry in their place.

He wanted to push _Steadfast Progress_ into Kaschig’s Field, no matter, that Megatron seemingly disapproved of this solution. It was the best – and all calculations were performed correctly. Only they didn’t take the nature of anomaly into accounting. It moved and it sucked his ship in.

At least they were alive.

The data feed was rubbish though. Streams of parameters, that didn’t make sense. It will take some time to decipher them – especially now that he had no one to perform the analysis with. He missed Shockwave: both of them would find a solution in no time, Shockwave might have been completely mad, but his mind was always brilliant.

Scrap, at this moment Soundwave wouldn’t mind to have the help of any mech at least a little inclined towards science. Even Starscream would do, and Starscream would probably be quite competent with his own life at stake.

Frenzy was the one to comment first on the situation:

“Well, frag, at least we are alive.”

“We need to get out,” Shatter said.

She sounded angry and Soundwave understood why. Outside the anomaly, the other triple changer was still captured by the Council.

He felt Megatron’s gaze on his obscured face. He tried to ex-vent as quiet, as it was possible. That was not a part of a plan, although he expected Megatron might be not exactly happy with the rescue.

“Soundwave,” his leader’s voice was cold and threatening. Megatron usually used a similar tone while dealing with Starscream. Which didn’t always end well – for Starscream.

But Soundwave was not Starscream and this was an entirely different situation.

“Calculations: correct. Anomaly: unpredictable. Calculating the possibility of getting out: in progress.”

“I didn’t expect anything else from you,” Megatron’s voice got softer. He really changed, Soundwave thought. “But I disapprove of your decision of pushing the Council’s ship into the anomaly.”

“Decision necessary for survival.”

“I understand this is how you see it. And it’s too late to be sorry. Search for a solution; I’ll leave you to it.”

Soundwave nodded. There will be time to sit and talk, but not yet; now they really needed to find a way out.

The communication systems started to receive a transmission – the signatures indicated it arrived from the Council ship, and the voice they heard was familiar:

“If anyone can hear us, this is captain Attu Zovvosk from the _Steadfast Progress_. We had entered Kaschig’s field. If anyone can hear us – do not approach, repeat, do not approach.”

Shatter smiled and this was a nasty smile.

“We are totally not going to,” she said.

“We are going to,” Optimus objected.

“The fraggers shoot us,” she protested.

“Yes. But if we cooperate, we can get out of here together and they can help us retrieve Dropkick.”

“Or give us out to the council,” she muttered.

“I really don’t want to interrupt,” Soundwave heard the human, who, almost forgotten, still stood on the console. “But I’d like to get out of this anomaly and return to my people. I bet those aliens there would also like that. We all want to get out. And by looking at you I presume you all have experience with cooperating with someone who wanted to kill you? Or am I wrong? So I’d really recommend we work together on getting out. I never intended to die in your fighting, you know?”

“Shatter, you are not in charge here,” Optimus reminded.

“Well, neither are you,” triple changer answered. “At least, not of me.”

“I agree with him,” Megatron said. “And your survival is not a matter of democracy.”

To the surprise of both of the former leaders, Shatter smiled.

Soundwave wasn’t surprised. There was still anger and frustration in her, but from her point of view this was something familiar, something she had experienced before. The anger in her EM field was mixed with hope and this was hope not only for getting her amica endura back – but also for something else.

But it was not something Soundwave wanted to think about.

He wanted to proceed with data analysis, so that they could escape the anomaly and had the chance to get their hopes, the smaller and the bigger ones, fulfilled.

He didn’t have to lead the operation anymore, paradoxically, he was now in a more secure place, in Megatron’s shadow – where he should be. This was a good place, even in a situation like this, even with his former leader and the former Prime throwing glances at each other, the tension between them rising rapidly from the first moment Megatron entered the bridge.

They were looking at each other like this for a long moment, everyone around watching and waiting. The cassettes expected a fight incoming, so probably did Marissa’s little soldier. But the fight didn’t come.

Megatron ex-vented.

“I’ll leave the negotiation to you, then.” He said, focusing his eyes on the former Prime. “Someone was talking something about the camouflage since I doubt anyone of you would agree on turning me in? Flatline, can you do something about my back? I’ll be using the name Terminus, in case anyone asked. But don’t expect me to interact with the Council’s forces.”

Optimus nodded.

“I’ll take care of it.”

“Just don’t blow it.”

There was a little sting of doubt – of the millennia-long rivalry – in Megatron’s voice, but Optimus kept calm, even his uncovered face didn’t twitch. Only his field swirled with a mix of conflicted emotions, now even more complex than before they performed the rescue. Soundwave thought, that Shatter might have been more right in her expectations, that he admitted to accepting. Maybe it was time to get prepared.

“I’m not going to,” Optimus said. “Frenzy, can you put me through?” he requested as Flatline and Megatron were out of the bridge.

The cassette threw him a suspicious glance but obeyed as soon as Soundwave nodded.

“This is the Cybertronian vessel _Echo;_ Orion Pax is speaking. We are trapped as well. We want to cooperate.”

There was a long moment of silence on the comms, before the Council’s captain answered.

_“Echo,_ this is captain Attu Zovvosk. We can hear you. We are trying to locate you, but all our readings are inconclusive.”

“So are ours. We try to adjust the ship’s sensors. We will try to share our results if you are willing to share yours.”

There was, again, a prolonged moment of silence. Meanwhile, Soundwave reset some of the _Echo’s_ systems. Slowly, some of the data started to resemble something that he could recognize.

_“Echo._ Orion Pax” captain Zovvosk was speaking again. The main communication screen started to pull through something – mostly static. “Forgive us being mistrustful. You pushed us into Kaschig’s Field.”

”You left us little choice, captain Zovvosk” Optimus answered, his voice calm. “We tried to answer your demands, as you started to shoot. We are ready to forget that and help you get out – we hope for your help in exchange.”

There was another moment of silence. Meanwhile, Miko moved to the communication console and situated herself next to Optimus’ hand. The screen cleared a little and now the face of alien captain was visible. They were roughly the height of average minibot, face round in the way only organics could achieve, a kind of scaly armor surrounding the eyes. They must have seen Optimus because their eyes moved… or was that just an organic thing?

“Let’s call this a misunderstanding,” the alien said slowly.

“They lie,” Miko said.

The alien’s eyes moved down, where the human was probably visible on his screen. Then they got wide. This expression usually showed surprise.

“You have a human on board?”

“I’m glad you recognize my species, captain Zovvosk” Miko said. “cadet Miko Nakadai, of the UEF. Under command of general Marissa Faireborn. I was saved by Orion.” As far as Soundwave could tell, she spoke without any hesitation. “We hoped you could help us, but you started shooting before we had our chance to really speak.”

The captain groaned, displeased.

“We had reasons to suspect that Echo’s crew participated in the attack on the Citrix station.”

“I saw the attackers,” Miko said. “I was outside during the attack and my suit was damaged. Orion and his crew saved me. Does Orion look like a Decepticon to you?”

The alien made another displeased noise.

“We might have made a mistake,” they admitted, “ That doesn’t mean we trust you.”

“I understand the circumstances, captain Zovvosk,” Optimus said. “And I don’t expect you to trust us after we leave Kaschig’s Field. Especially that there are indeed Decepticons on our ship: but we did not participate in the attack in any way other then saving this human.”

Another alien, larger, with more elongated limbs, their skin covered with wrinkles and folds, leaned toward their captain, whispering something to their ears. Attu Zovvosk frowned.

“The human can still be a hostage,” they said.

“Do I look like a hostage to you?” Miko protested.

“Captain, with all due respect, we can discuss the issue after we are out.”

“Very well. You are right, Orion Pax, we have no other choice, but to cooperate. We are sending you our data – and everything we have on Kaschig’s field, although it is not very much.”

„And we are sending you our data. It is not much either, but we will update you. Do you happen to have a scientist on your ship?”

„Veiora has some expertise in the field of physics. They are the best we have.”

„Probably better than us. Soundwave?”

Soundwave nodded.

„Any help appreciated.”

„Can I ask one thing?” Miko interrupted. „We have no idea how long we will spend here, right? I need some supplies. Food, mostly, but also something for, uuum, disposal, if you know what I mean?”

The alien captain, organic himself, understood what an average organic needed better than Soundwave would ever have.

„You can always come over to our ship, cadet Miko Nakadai,” they said. „This will be surely a better place for you.”

The human went silent for a moment.

„I guess it could be a good idea,” she said slowly. „Reasonable. I will consider it, but…”

She didn’t end when something hit the ship again, hard.

„Are you shooting again, fraggers?!” Shatter exclaimed straight at the alien captain.

Soundwave proceeded to analyze all the incoming data. There was something buried in the outer layers of the ship, not deep enough to breach into some important structures, but it pierced the hull in several places.

„Captain!” one of the aliens on the Steadfast Progress called. „Something hit us!”

„They are not trustworthy!” the wrinkled alien, still visible behind their captain, exclaimed.

„This is not a missile. This is something else.”

„Analysis,” Soundwave said „indicating: claw-shaped object holding _Echo._ Deduction: the similar object holds Steadfast Progress.”

***

It was a giant tentacle of some sort, enormous: each claw holding Echo as big, as titan’s finger – at least that was the comparison the Cybertronians provided, Miko had never seen a titan up close – large segmented tentacle disappearing somewhere in the darkness. It didn’t move, just pulsated rhythmically; sometimes something glowed in between the segments. Supposedly, similar one held the other ship, but they could not see it: the sensors couldn’t pierce this level of darkness outside.

They were not alone here. This was an exciting thought. This was also a scary thought.

No one on board was amused and no one had an idea what it could be. The aliens on the other ship already asked – well, the leathery, wrinkled alien person, commander Fal Trena, as they were called, asked – if it was not something Cybertronian. But apparently not. Nobody knew what it was and why it hid in the anomaly. In fact, in the previous several thousand years nothing had left Kaschig’s field: the ships disappeared inside, like in a giant space Bermuda Triangle, but there were no rumors of anything that might have hidden inside.

Surprisingly no rumors, Miko decided. She said that and got a long, silent glance from one of the aliens they spoke to, a humanoid with dark blue skin and a magnificent white feathery crest on their head. So she persuaded the alien and the alien said that there were indeed legends of some ancient evil hiding inside the Kaschig’s field, but they were older than Cybertronian civil war, so nobody really thought of them.

Ancient evils again. Just great.

For now, Miko and Shatter were to come to Steadfast Progress for supplies. Miko was not sure if she wanted to stay on the Council ship. It sounded more reasonable and she would be able to breathe without a helmet, but on the other hand, she got used to her current companions. Besides someone needed to have an eye on Megatron.

Of course, Miko needed not only food and she was aware of this.

“I need a weapon,” she stated. “If I am to go outside, I need to be able to defend myself. Do you have anything that is not your body parts?”

She looked at her companions. She didn’t know the details, but as far as she remembered Megatron used to have a large fusion cannon attached to his right arm. It was not there currently, taken away, which didn’t mean the warlord was unable to fight. He himself was a living weapon. They all were weapons, even Flatline, who was currently occupied with trying to persuade the former Decepticon leader that the patches on his back need more welding to be stable.

Shatter smiled.

“I like this one,” she said. “Soundwave, Frenzy or Rumble should have something that could be carried by her.”

“You want us to give weapons to a human that wanted to kill lord Megatron…” one of the “twins”, Miko had no idea which one, said.

He was interrupted by a loud, growling sound, that caused shivers in the woman’s body. She had no doubt where was this sound coming from and thinking of this was not comforting.

The little mech looked at his leader.

“What?”

“I just wanted to remind you, Frenzy,” Megatron said, surprisingly calm, although she seemed to be displeased. “That it is not “lord” anymore.”

Frenzy shrugged.

“Whatever. It tried to assassinate you anyway.”

“I can live with people who tried to kill me.”

“Riiight… You kept Starscream around… But you are not going to interface with the human though.”

“Frenzy,” Soundwave said “Enough. You and Rumble: give a weapon to the human”

“It doesn’t even have a right slot on its arms to attach it,” Frenzy protested. “And it will be unable to power the weapon once the charge goes down… What is the point in giving squishies the toys they are not able to properly use… What? I’m coming, boss, I’m coming!”

“If I’m not strong enough, I will just die out there,” said Miko, as Frenzy took her to the armory.

“I hope so, because if I hear you shrieking…”

“I won’t shriek.”

Frenzy frowned. Miko had no idea how was it possible, but he really did frown.

“Human females always shriek in movies. And it is terrible. And someone once tried to explain to me why it was always females, but I couldn’t get it.”

“I’m not in a movie. And besides, I’m a trained soldier. Have you ever heard general Faireborn shrieking?”

“Your movies would be better without shrieking females”

“Totally. You like human movies?”

“They are entertaining,” Frenzy admitted “Most of our movies are documentaries or propaganda. Yours are good. Mostly. Those parts I can understand.”

“I bet.”

There were several weapons stored in the room. Not as much as Miko expected from a Decepticon ship. Most of them too large indeed and constructed in this way that you had to attach it to your body. If you were a space robot, that is. No use for a human.

Frenzy found something that looked like a larger pistol in his hands but was quite heavy for Miko. She practiced with larger weapons, but never really used it. Hopefully, the gravity outside was low enough to carry additional weight for a longer time.

The rifle had magnetic clasps that could be used to attach it to Miko’s backpack. Easier than carry it in her hands. It also had a power cord that could be attached to a Cybertronian body to increase power input, but Frenzy explained this is not needed.

“Sometimes you just don’t want to be the power source for your weapon and this is OK. We want to stay online too. But if any of us has his Spark destroyed but the frame still running, you can use him as a power source. I don’t recommend it though when you are not sure the mech is dead.”

Miko nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks, Frenzy. You’re helpful for someone who wanted to throw me out the airlock.”

Frenzy shrugged.

“You are an organic. One doesn’t take organics on a ‘Con ship. You make wet stains when you are killed.”

“Disgusting,” Miko agreed. “Don’t kill me so you don’t get wet stains.”

“Dropkick likes it. Thinks killing organic’s is funny. I don’t blame them. They had just discovered something totally new and…” Frenzy frowned and looked at Miko. “Hey, had you ever killed a Cybertronian before?”

“I thought I killed Megatron.”

“Yeah, but it doesn’t count. Have you ever killed somebody?”

She shook her head.

„No.”

„So, the best is yet to come for you.”

„Well,” she said, looking at the heavy rifle, constructed for killing things bigger and tougher than her. It was intoxicating, holding such a power in her hands. „You bet.”

When they returned, there was silence on the bridge, a heavy silence, and Miko had no doubts who is the source of the tension. Great. At least there was no murder attempt, but those two just looking at each other were uncomfortable enough: especially considering the fact no one tried to interrupt this prolonged starring session.

Even Frenzy stopped at the door.

Oh. Just great.

Miko looked at Shatter. She had this amused smile on her face as if she only waited to watch how the situation develops. As if she just longed for popcorn, or whatever robots used instead. Miko had no idea how she should feel about this.

She decided to interrupt.

“I’m ready to go,” she announced as if nothing was happening. Because nothing was, right?

It was easier when the airlock opened – without comments from any of the small mecha, fortunately, and both Miko and Shatter looked into the darkness.

Well, as easy, as it was, to go into the unknown accompanied by a Decepticon.

Shatter had her own thrusters on the back – no, not thrusters, Miko corrected herself, but proper jets. She saw Shatter in her alt-mode, the red flyer incoming, menacing, guns everywhere. Did Shatter know then about the little human on the station hull, of the device in said human’s hands?

The engines thrummed as Shatter jumped off the ship. The distance they flew was relatively small, at least for creatures such big – Miko’s own thrusters wouldn’t have enough power. She was again on someone’s shoulder, this time Shatter’s.

They landed in the opened airlock. It closed behind them, air filling it.

„The air is suitable to breathe for you, human,” Miko heard in the speakers. “You can take off the helmet.

Miko did it and another door opened.

„It must be a relief for you, human,” the alien on the other side said.

This was the one with feathery crest. They were maybe two meters in height, with strong looking arms.

Miko shrugged.

„Better than a cupboard, but…”

Alien rose their brow but said nothing to that.

“Lieutenant Thser-Nah. I’m here to accompany you,” they introduced themselves.

They lead. Miko and Shatter followed.

The ship was enormous. Bigger than _Echo,_ Miko already knew it, but she was still not used to the new scale. Shatter’s shoulder was a convenient watching point, especially after they entered the ship's bridge, large and loud.

Lieutenant Thser-Nah had no problems moving around so many beings larger than them. They entered the bridge with the confidence of someone who was doing it every day. They saluted to captain Zovvosk.

„Captain. I’m bringing guests from the Cybertronian ship.”

The captain was surprisingly small, still larger than a human, probably roughly the height of Rumble and Frenzy, but shorter than Shatter was. They watched carefully both the mech and the human, who jumped on the floor.

„Shatter of Iacon,” Shatter introduced herself.

The captain concentrated, of course, on her chest.

„A Decepticon.”

„It happened. You were informed before,” she reminded him. “We are mostly Decepticons on the ship. Two neutrals. One Autobot. And one human. We are reasonable folk, captain. As you can see, I’m not opening fire on your crew.”

„Your people opened fire on the station.”

„I will not deny that. But I believe you had this conversation before, with Orion.”

The wrinkled alien that stood beside the captain looked even more hostile in person. Why did they had to be both ugly and mean looking?

The captain stood up, looked at Miko.

“Cadet Nakadai. I might not trust the crew of _Echo,_ but your presence proves at least some of their assurances are genuine. I’m glad to have you here. Lieutenant Thser-Nah will show you the ship and your quarters. Shatter of Iacon, thank you for cooperation.”

Thser-Nah smiled at Miko. They were friendly, for sure.

“Can I have some questions?” Miko asked as they left the bridge.

“I’m here to answer them,” the alien said.

Well, they were all so friendly towards humans… Miko was already aware of the political situation, or at least of a part of it. Lieutenant Thser-Nah was probably instructed to be friendly because their captain and the council had seen humans as useful.

“What happened before we flew into the anomaly?”

Thser-Nah sighed.

“The captain should have waited. This was a misguided decision. If we knew you were onboard...”

“You had no idea who was on board.”

You still don’t have, she thought.

In theory, she could tell – right now. _Steadfast Progress_ still had an advantage over _Echo._ They could help each other and then captain Zovvosk and their crew would destroy _Echo_ as Miko would watch.

This was a horrible thought. She couldn’t betray her companions like this. Well, the Decepticons – maybe, but, still…

No. She could not.

What did that make her? Wasn’t she a traitor now? Deciding to hide the secret she participated in freeing the worst villain the galaxy had ever seen.

“We didn’t have” Thser-Nah agreed. “But for some of us it is enough that _Echo_ is a Cybertronian ship. Destroy one more, destroy some more machines...”

“They are alive.”

“I know it. You know it. But not all of us think like this. Commander Fal was in Black Block Consortia once, and they still have the sentiments… as have many of us.”

So the wrinkled alien was some kind of an extremist? Oh, good to know. They were probably happy when the captain ordered to shoot.

“If I stay with you,” Miko asked “what happens? Provided we leave this lovely place.”

“You will be returned to your people.”

“What happens with _Echo’s_ crew?” Miko demanded.

Thser-Nah frowned.

“This is not a question I am able to answer.”

“Then I will not stay,” Miko decided. Fuck all of this. Maybe it was now the misguided decision she was making, but…

The alien smiled.

“I will support you in this,” they said. “Let’s go get you the supplies you need.”

What Miko was given resembled energy bars. There were also some containers with some liquid. Thser-Nah explained this were the rations that were considered universal for most species with biology similar to their own – or human. It should be more or less safe, no guarantee, but better than to starve. Miko agreed – in fact, her organism just has reminded her that the last thing she had eaten was chocolate: several hours before the operation.

They were explaining how the hygienic supplies worked, when the ship shook again.

“Shatter,” Miko called her unlikely companion on the comms. “What is happening?”

“This thing is pulling them in,” Shatter answered. “Wait, it is pulling us in as well.”

By “us” she meant _Echo,_ obviously.

“I’m coming,” Miko said.

Thser-Nah ran and Miko after them. On the bridge, on all screens, they saw the images: of the clawed tentacle, of Steadfast Progress caught by the similar thing… and of some kind of structure now they were able to see. There was also a stream of readings, but Miko had no idea whatsoever how to understand them, so she focused on visuals – and of what the captain was speaking.

One of the screens was communication with _Echo_ and she saw Optimus, Soundwave, and Megatron looming somewhere in the background, trying not to be noticed. His armor was covered in pale blue. Well, this was _a_ solution. Of sorts. Megatron in pale blue didn’t look like Megatron.

He wasn’t speaking either. This was good. Well, at least for him – Miko reminded herself.

“Attacking: not advised,” Soundwave said.

“So you want to wait until it drags us in?” captain Zovvosk asked.

“More data needed.”

“Or this is a trap,” Fal Trena said. Oh, great; here goes the extremist. “If we shoot it, we might get free. We calculated the possibility before...”

“With all due respect,” Optimus interrupted. “Captain Zovvosk, believe me, I would consider...”

“We will shoot,” captain decided. “We need results. I don’t believe my first officer when they claim you are leading us into a trap, I believe you are as trapped as we are, but if we don’t try, we wouldn’t know. Prepare to fire!” he ordered.

Miko watched, as the missile hit the clawed tentacle. It shook and shivered and something clanged very unpleasantly in the depths of the ship.

“The missile hit the object,” someone reported. “There is damage”

“Again” captain Zovvosk ordered.

This time there was very visible damage. The object twitched again and stopped moving.

The captain smiled.

“Let’s do it again,” they said.

Before the missile was shoot, the object twitched yet again.

Then, out of a sudden, Miko heard a piercing sound.

“Captain, red alert!” someone called. “This is enginery. Reporting drive overload incoming in...”

Thser-Nah cursed.

“What happened?” the captain asked, calm, as someone in their position should be.

“We have a gravitational type microanomaly in the engine!” someone called over the comms.

“This is impossible!” Fal Trena said.

“What can be done with this?”

“Nothing in the time you have.”

“Captain Zovvosk,” Optimus said. “Evacuate your ship.”

“This is not an option.”

“So dying is?!” Miko exclaimed. “I want to live. Shatter!”

The red Decepticon nodded. “We are getting out of here.”

“Evacuate the ship, captain Zovvosk,” Optimus repeated. “We will take as many as we can on board.”

“The Cybertronian is right, captain,” Thser-Nah said. “We will die if we stay.”

“Very well. All to the escape pods, repeating, all into escape pods.

Everything was happening quickly: the blinking lights, the crew running to the pods, captain, their first officer, and lieutenant Thser-Nah giving orders and directing people. Miko and Shatter left first, they did not have to get to the pods. At one moment Miko was in Shatter’s hand, then suddenly she was surrounded by shifting metal and in a moment she sat in a cockpit of an object strongly remaining a jet. She had no time to think that fuck, she was inside a Decepticon alt-mode. Shatter was flying on her full engines and behind her the pods were leaving the Council ship – one by one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thser-Nah is from the race I created as a teenager - for a never-finished fanfiction (crossover of two sci fi series I loved and still love)... then I developed this race beyond what was needed for fanfiction... I haven't use them for many years, so, well, I decided it will be a great moment to do it, since I needed some aliens for the plot anyway. So Thser-Nah happen. I drew them today, because totally nothing was happening at work. So, have my overdeveloped OC from overdeveloped alien culture, they are just supporting cast anyway.
> 
> Description on the picture:  
Thser-Nah ("Solar Wind")  
Species: Forian  
Planet: Ranal  
Ethnicity: Altu  
Gender: ???  
Pronouns: They, them  
Rank: Rawes (Ranal), lieutenant (Galactic Council)
> 
> Also, many thanks to Gokuma for naming both ships!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Failed evacuation – Survivors – Megatron is not happy, Shatter doesn’t give a slag – Orion Pax, part 3 – But you want to live and be free – The alien scientists – Singularity technology – Gather the party – Flirting – Ancient evils, part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd recommend listening to Suicide Mission from Mass Effect 2 soundtrack for this chapter. At least that was what I was listening to while writing.

_Steadfast Progress_ was going to fall apart, the singularity manifested in the engine causing gravitational ripples tearing into the structure. They observed while the data was flowing to  _Echo’s_ computer, precious data that would help them to escape, hopefully. Everything indicated that the singularity manifested as a result of captain Zovvosk ordering to shoot.

From a certain perspective, one could perceive this development as a successful experiment and Optimus was sure this was how Soundwave had seen it. He himself couldn’t. The entire crew of  _Steadfast Progress_ was about thirty people of many different species; it was just a small patrol ship, still bigger than  _Echo_ . The aliens were now proceeding to the pods. It was clear they all wouldn’t be able to get into  _Echo_ . There was no infrastructure that will be able to sustain so many organic beings. Some of them were going to die and Optimus knew he had to accept the fact and bear the consequences – although the fault lied in captain Zovvosk’s misguided decision.

The airlock opened. Shatter flew inside, transforming as she landed. Miko fell out off her cockpit, trying to catch balance since Shatter lacked the experience of how to catch her passenger in the middle of returning to the root mode.

“So we will have guests,” Shatter snarked, entering the bridge, the human running after her, clutching the supplies bag. “Just great.”

On the screen the  _Steadfast Progress_ was folding like it was made of tinfoil; and then exploding drive tore it apart. Miko gasped, when she saw it: the explosion catching three of the escape pods, the fourth one flying away into dark deep and disappearing.

The last pod was approaching, seemingly not damaged. The sensors indicated presence of seven organic lifeforms on board – if they weren’t wrong; you could never be sure with organics.

“We would never be able to save them all, you know.” Optimus heard Megatron’s calm voice. 

“This is not the reason to be happy that they died.”

“I’m not happy. You don’t have to accuse me of it… Or are these old habits speaking?” For a moment there was a smirk on his face, a distant shade of old menacing smiles. Then it disappeared. “I just remind you that I offered to give myself in, so this is an easy way to get rid of me.”

“This is not an option.”

“We will need to talk, you know? When we get out of here. We need to have a long talk.”

This sounded like a threat, but Optimus decided to ignore it.

The pod opened. There were indeed seven aliens inside it. Seven out of roughly thirty. Captain, his suspicious first, someone with blue skin and the white crest of feathers, one person with mechanical augments embedded in their head. A Nebulon, looking at their datapad as they were exiting the pod, absent-minded. An A’ovan and a Mikesu.

Seven. Just seven of them.

Captain Zovvosk approached, extending his hand, a fairly universal gesture for most species.

“Orion Pax. Captain Pax?”

“Just Orion. I wasn’t to be in charge here, but this is a crisis situation and I have some experience dealing with such.

“Of course you have,” Megatron muttered.

Optimus really felt like punching him hard and dragging him to a med bay. His sole presence was a provocation – as if he wanted to be discovered.

Maybe that was what he wanted, but Optimus wasn’t going to give him that satisfaction. Or any, as a matter of fact.

The first officer of  _Steadfast Progress_ looked at all of them, suspicious.

“Do we have any data on them, captain?”

“If there was anything in the database, Trena, it was lost on the ship,” captain Zovvosk answered. “That is if Veiora or lieutenant Thser-Nah don’t have something.”

“Please, what I have here is physics,” the alien with the datapad said. “Personal files? Sorry. This is a waste of memory space.”

“Those are my scientists,” the captain pointed at the Nebulon and at the technoorganic. “Veiora and Croz'ik.”

“Where is the guy I’m working with? Or person? How do you say it? Person. Person should be ok?”

“It’s mech, as I recall,” Fal Trena said, dryly.

“Mech then,” Veiora agreed.

Optimus just pointed at Soundwave and the scientist went, followed by the alien with mechanical augmentations.

“Captain Zovvosk. Let me...” Optimus felt Megatron’s eyes on him. Well. “...us to show you around. I’m sorry we are not well prepared for this situation, but we are doing our best. I’m also deeply sorry for the loss of your crew.”

“We would have been able to accommodate more of you,” he heard Megatron saying. Was that regret in his voice?

“But not everyone,” the captain said. “I am aware of this. You are doing more than enough, considering the fact that we brought it on ourselves… and on you.”

He didn’t look overly suspicious, but Optimus remained alert.

“Are cadet Nakadai and Shatter of Iacon safe?” lieutenant Thser-Nah asked.

“We are,” Miko confirmed, smiling. “I’m glad you made it out alive. I’m sorry the others did not.”

It didn’t take much time to show the aliens empty space for their use. It was not a perfect place for organic beings, but Optimus hoped they weren’t going to remain on board long enough for this to become a problem. Captain Zovvosk hoped for this too. He thanked for the hospitality and Optimus left him and the remaining crew members to themselves.

As he left, he noticed Megatron and Shatter in the ship’s wardroom, talking. He stopped, his subroutines telling him that any exchange between the Decepticon leader and one of his soldiers could be of crucial strategic meaning.

“I appreciate your effort, but no, you don’t need me. You are doing good on your own…” Megatron frowned, looking on the symbol on Shatter’s chest “Or at least I hope you are.”

Optimus noticed Shatter rising her head higher, the same proud expression as before. She might have admired Megatron, but she spoke to him as if he were her equal. Optimus didn’t remember many Decepticons behaving like this – but then again, maybe Starscream’s attitude was just too memorable.

Shatter pointed at her insignia.

“I did it for you.”

“I did not ask for it.” Megatron’s voice was harsh, there was an echo of something familiar and threatening in it.

“I did not reject what you taught me. If you think I’m going to cause a war now, then you are mistaken. I did it to save you. And don’t tell me that you didn’t ask me to. This was my choice, Soundwave’s choice, even his choice” she pointed at Optimus, obviously noticing him. “We wanted to free you. We need you to be free. We don’t expect you to lead another revolution: we only wanted you to not suffer anymore. That is all.”

“You made a choice,” he agreed “ And what were the consequences? I am free, but your amica isn’t. And we got stuck here and we may die, and you won’t get a chance to retrieve Dropkick. Was it worth it?”

Shatter snorted.

“Like Dropkick didn’t know the risk when they assigned for it. You really think you are going to convince us? And we are not going to die, not with you two in charge.”

She sounded confident, but Megatron blinked fast, then throw Optimus a quick glance, before his eyes returned to Shatter.

“You have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Oh, you think I wasn’t here before? You think he didn’t question this? “ She pointed at Optimus, who really wanted to be out of this conversation. Or to have any reason fight those two because this would be much easier. “I remember how you were with Orion! It was like you believed you two could change the world! What happened to this mech?”

“I let him die!”

There was something desperate in Megatron’s voice now, something deeply painful and Optimus was sure he didn’t want to hear this, he should have never heard this. He shouldn’t be here.

He started to back off, slowly.

Some strange emotion was clutching his spark and he wasn’t able to recognize it. It was a mix of anger and something else - but what were those other feelings?

Another proof he should never have heard this conversation.

“I recall Orion dying,” Shatter said, her voice dry and tense. She tapped her fingers against the forearms she kept folded on her chest. “I don’t recall you letting him die. You did what you could for him. As we did for you. As I will do for Dropkick. You were not against us trying to save Orion, so what changed?”

For a long moment, Megatron just stood there looking at her, his mouth open, expression half a smile, half disbelief.

“Really…”

“Yes, yes, I had heard it!” she was irritated now, her anger flaring in her eyes. “And I have enough of this! Of hearing that you are the most horrible person in the galaxy, the ultimate monster! Well, it looks like I disagree with this! And so does Dropkick! And Soundwave! And guess who else, you glitched idiot! I have enough of this slag, I have enough of questioning my and Dropkick’s decisions!”

She left, passing Optimus, who just realized he should have left the room several moments ago. But he was there still - and now it was Shatter that left and he was standing there alone with Megatron. An irritated Megatron, to be precise.

They were looking at each other for a long while, tension hanging in the air, neither of them willing to start a conversation, but neither of them willing to leave either.

If someone had to break the silence, it might very well have been Optimus.

“I’m sorry I overheard this.”

“You were listening too carefully to be sorry now,” Megatron said.

Of course. And he was damn right.

Although right now Optimus really wasn’t in the mood to admit this. And this was not the time for a longer conversation.

“If you really wanted to return to your cell you would already tell the captain,” he just said.

“What makes you think I haven’t already made a deal?”

“Because you want to live and be free.”

“Even if, I know that I cannot have everything I want. I often got things I didn’t want… And there are some I wanted and never get to have.”

His lips twitched; there was something unpleasant in this smile. Then he left the room, passing Optimus by.

Optimus felt Megatron’s field overlapping against his for a brief moment. There was anger, that was all too familiar, but underneath there was conflicted chaos not unlike the one he experienced himself.

***

The sensors finally focused enough to provide the image of the structure that was hiding in the darkness. It was the size of a larger moon or big planetoid, and supposedly artificial. The outer shell was metal and consisted of multiple irregularities, obscuring general spherical shape of the structure.

The alien scientist, Veiora, took her place in the bridge. If she was nervous after most of her crew died in the explosion, Soundwave was not able to read this from her. She leaned towards the screen, the expression on her face turning to a fascinated smile.

“This is amazing,” she stated. “Scary, but amazing. This is what I signed for. Sorry.”

“Efficiency matters. Personal engagement: irrelevant. Veiora: can express it as long as it doesn’t collide with research.”

The problem with scientists: they often got excited, no matter if the subject of their research was dangerous. Soundwave managed to get used to it over the years and Veiora’s behavior wasn’t even annoying.

The other scientist, the technoorganic named  Croz'ik , remained calm.

“So you are saying this singularity was generated as an effect of us shooting at the object,” Veiora said.

“Affirmative.” 

“Makes sense. Whoever occupies this space, they are proficient with manipulating anomalies. They might have created one. Makes you think...” she frowned. “But I’m an expert on astrophisics, not old myths. It’s Thser-Nah who collects such things. So let’s put myths aside and look at what we have confirmed. Trying to defend ourselves will end with your ship being destroyed as our was… This is not a prospect I’m comfortable with. But…” Her eyes just glowed, as if she had some light source inside them. “This would be a great opportunity, if we managed to take hold on this technology, even only on a little piece of it.”

“Possibility: doubtful.”

“Yes, yes, I agree.” She waved her hand. She was extremely expressive, too expressive for Soundwave’s taste. “But haven’t you thought about it?”

“Affirmative. Using the singularity technology to get us out...”

“Or at least to destroy this thing,” she interrupted, pointing at the structure.

“Going inside necessary to find the source.”

“Yes! Yes! Of course, it is. We are in an unfortunate position, but we can look into it, right?” All right, she was organic and loud, but Soundwave finally decided he likes her enthusiasm. “So, these are some calculations I made on the way here. It was not easy, but… Croz'ik, please, give me the datapad, thank you.”

The other scientist approached slowly. their mechanical eye blinked with pale green light as they gave the object. They were the opposite to their boss: silent, almost unmoved, the look in their mechanical eye was cold – at least that was how Soundwave understood it. They had some kind of an EM field, due to the augmentations in their brain – but it reminded of Shockwave’s field, devoid of emotion. The mechanical part of the alien was sparkless… “Soulless” or “heartless” as the organics was saying.

“So this is my idea, provided, we are able to take hold on the technology and that my calculations are right,” Veiora said, transferring the data to the big screen. “It’s a rough theory right now, but this is what we have… But if you have something of your own...”

“Soundwave: a strategist. Science: not my best field.” 

“Oh. All right. I understand. But the data you already provided are excellent and the analysis brilliant, I should say. I’ve never worked with a Cybertronian before. Anyway, if we manage to generate a singularity approximately here…” She pointed on a place on schematics.“…And cause an explosion somehow, it should create a window that will allow us to escape Kaschig’s Field. Now, there is one thing we should do first: someone should go inside.”

The other scientist stood, looking at the screens in silence. Their boss turned to them.

“What do you think? You are oddly silent.”

Croz'ik made a coughing sound. His mechanical eye blinked from green to white then back to green.

“I agree with you, Veiora,” they said calmly. “This could be an opportunity to...”

Whatever they intended to say next, it was interrupted by a sudden shake and rumbling sound coming through the ship.

The screens showed, that the tentacle started to slowly pull Echo towards the structure.

“Well,” Veiora said. “We don’t have much time, it seems.”

***

“You are not going, Veiora.”

The Nebulon scientist looked at her captain, disappointed.

“This could be an opportunity...”

“To get killed. You and Croz'ik are crucial on board, where you could continue researching and looking for a way out. Understood?”

“Yes, captain.”

“Good. I’m going with Thser-Nah and commander Fal. Orion?”

“I’ll go” Optimus decided. “I’ll take Shatter and one of your cassettes, Soundwave.”

Both Rumble and Frenzy looked at each other and then at their carrier. Then Frenzy nodded, grinning.

“All right. I will have my eyes on them, boss.”

“Don’t get killed,” Buzzsaw said.

“Then it’s settled,” Optimus said, looking at the three mecha he expected to have with him.

And then the reality reminded him he miscalculated.

“You have forgotten about someone, _Orion_.” The accent put on his name was almost sarcastic.

He turned around.

„You are staying here. You are damaged”.

Megatron snorted.

„Flatline did welds on my back. They should hold.”

„Flatline should hold you in the medbay.”

„Please, you are the only one who would dare to. I had some experience with working on singularity weapon. I’m going and that’s final.” Megatron’s eyes were bright red, menacing: eyes that made countless mecha afraid in the past. And not only mecha; even now one of the organics, Lieutenant Thser-Nah, got stiff and Fal Trena narrowed their eyes suspiciously. Miko frowned as well. “So, any more objections?”

This time there weren’t any, but both Soundwave and Flatline looked displeased.

“So, what was that about not always getting what you wanted?” Optimus asked. The urge was stronger than common sense and besides he needed to deal somehow with the perspective of having Megatron around once again.

And, of course, his archenemy had answered that.

“Be careful, because if I get used to this, I could try to get you.”

This was supposed to sound like a death threat, wasn’t it? But somehow Optimus was not sure. Megatron’s almost playful tone seemed to veer their short conversation in a direction he hadn’t even expect to exist. And to add insult to injury, it caused Shatter to smile, despite the fact that a minute ago she was still irritated and snarling at everyone around.

“They are flirting, sweet Primus, they are flirting!” Optimus heard her saying. He was sure he wasn’t supposed to hear that.

He was rather sure flirting was not what he intended.

He should have used the last opportunity they had to sit down and discuss the situation, at least set some rules that would make their interactions better. If anything could do their interactions better…

Maybe Megatron was as nervous as Optimus was? This would explain the “flirting”. It wasn’t easy to get stuck in an anomaly, with your worst enemy, with the aliens that wanted to drag you back to the prison, even if you thought you deserved this prison, because this prison was a nightmare no one should be placed in.

And it was a possibility that Megatron wanted to go – with a very specific purpose.

“You are not seeking death,” Optimus said slowly.

“Because self-sacrifice is your thing?”

“Because I will be there to watch your back.”

Again an infuriating smirk.

“Oh, I’m looking forward to this. And I’m watching yours, by the way, in case you wanted to sacrifice yourself. I’m not letting you escape that easy.”

Well, so was Shatter apparently who was listening to them: she smiled again, widely, almost grinned.

Optimus ex-vented, thinking that he would really love it if this was the end of complications, at least with the gathering of the party. Apparently, it was not, because what he noticed next was Miko, in her full gear and with the rifle attached to the back.

„I’m going too,” she declared.

„Miko...”

„You are not my commanding officer,” she interrupted before he even finished the sentence. “Actually, I’m the highest in the ranks of UEF here, so. I’m going. And you can say nothing against it. And neither can he,” she pointed at the alien captain. „So yes, I’m going.”

***

From the open hangar, they saw the structure looming now over  _Echo_ . The spiky irregularities were ships, all the previous victims of Kaschig’s Field, attached to whatever was underneath. The smaller tentacles were occupied with gathering what was left of  _Steadfast Progress_ and the pods. The big one holding  _Echo_ was pulling the ship towards the structure, slowly, but steadily.

The surface of the tentacle was more or less stable. It was humming under their feet, as they proceeded to walk on its surface towards the structure.

Soon, they noticed what looked like a door, massive, made of black metallic substance. There were ornaments engraved on it, simple, elegant. Optimus had already seen some similar symbols: on very old Cybertronian architecture  _and_ inside Unicron. It was as old, as their race was, older, maybe. It was somehow connected to them and that made him disturbed.

Neither Megatron nor Shatter recognized the ornaments. Neither of the organics seemed to know what they were seeing.

„Frenzy, does Soundwave have any knowledge of this?” he asked the symbiont.

Fal Trena snickered.

„This is not the time,” they said.

„Allow them,” captain Zovvosk said. „If they have any knowledge, it might help to determine what we are dealing with.”

„Soundwave says it reminds him of some very ancient Cybertronian motifs, but he doubts this is Cybertronian,” Frenzy said.

„If it is, then we have another thing you are guilty of,” Fal Trena said.

„Actually,” lieutenant Thser-Nah, said „I’ve seen similar engravings. I was once on Citrix Two. It can be found there. It is believed to be a remnant of some ancient civilization that lived in the Citrix system.”

„Cool!” Miko exclaimed.

Optimus would like it to be cool. It was not.

“I had heard the legends,” Thser-Nah continued. “But those are just fragments of stories and no one seems to care about them.”

“Is it possible that they had a good reason to forget it?” Miko asked.

The alien shook their head.

“I don’t know. My species joined the Council roughly fifty standard years ago. I’m the first who joined the Peacekeeping forces. And although cultural studies are my second discipline, I’m far from being an expert.”

“You are the closest to the expert we have,” Optimus said. “Go on, lieutenant.”

Thser-Nah sighed.

“They say there was a very ancient race that lived in the Citrix system before the Council was formed. And that they were in this systemwhen the Council was formed, they fought against the Council and against most of the races, both organic and non-organic ones – those they didn’t use as their soldiers or slaves, of course. They were, reportedly, the ones to cause all the irregularities in the Citrix system. But if their planet was here or not – no one knows. But the first records of Kaschigs’ Field call it a “hiding place”.”

“Which is ridiculous,” Fal Trena interrupted.

“Or maybe not,” Megatron said. “There is something inside. Someone.”

He didn’t look pleased. Not that Optimus would like to see him pleased, because every memory of Megatron being satisfied was the memory of his own defeat, and this was definitely not something worth striving for right now. But this… Megatron was visibly thinking hard about something and even more visibly he was disturbed.

“More ancient evils,” Miko said, recalling the talk she and Optimus had on the Citrix station.

Oh, Primus, no more ancient evils. The Galaxy definitely had seen enough of them.

But there was definitely something here. Someone. Someone who was able to create this structure inside an anomaly and generate singularity that destroyed the  _Steadfast Progress_ . Someone who intended to pull  _Echo_ inside, as they did with all the ships before.

“Oh, with all due respect, cadet Miko Nakadai, Terminus… or whatever your name is,” Fal Trena frowned even more. “Someone is here, but we don’t know who they are and what they want. Let’s stick to the facts.”

“The fact is, Trena,” captain Zovvosk said, irritated, “that they had caught all those ships and killed most of our crew. And the fact is that you are going to follow my orders.”

“Finally,” Thser-Nah said.

Frenzy was the first one who approached the door. He gave it a long look, then touched it, frowning. Was he gathering information for Soundwave, or was it just his curiosity?

Curiosity was what guided Miko for sure. Without thinking, she run towards Frenzy and the gate.

  


  



	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> We are not the first ones to go here – Lost contact – Fear and paranoia – The aliens have their issues, part 2 – Voices – Escalation – Separation – We are not alone – Beware the bridges!

The inside of the structure was silent and dark. As the lights – build in both suits of Miko and other organic beings and Cybertronian bodies – lit, Miko started to see the details of a large, very high hall. It climbed and climbed above her head, many storeys of doorways and bridges crossing it. If it had a celling, it disappeared somewhere in the darkness.

The place was quiet. Every footstep – especially that made with a large metal foot – sounded with many echoes.

Miko thought of what such sudden footsteps could awaken. Thser-Nah spoke of ancient evils and Miko called it cool, although she was aware no one wanted to meet an ancient evil, not really. But how couldn’t she be fascinated with what they were seeing?

Oh, they were not the first beings from the outside that entered this place. She was sure there were others. How unfortunate were they? It was, of course, possible they survived and their descendants lived somewhere inside the structure.

It was even more possible they were all dead.

She noticed Thser-Nah tracing some ornament. It looked similar to those outside. Whoever built this place, wasn’t devoid of the sense of aesthetics. Every culture has its forms of art, Miko thought. If the ornaments were art, and not… something else.

This always was the thing: what if it was not what one expected it to be, but something else.

“Well, this sure is a quiet place,” Fal Trena said, looking around.

Frenzy tried to shed some light on something above. He stepped a little backward, then something cracked under his feet.

“I think I just crushed some bones,” he said. “They sound a little different when attached to a squishy body, but still.”

Miko looked down where he stood. There were indeed bones. Something about her size, lots and lots of teeth in the elongated skull, long tail, ribs – now crushed. Frenzy lift up his leg, looking at the remains of bones that fell from it.

Miko approached. In the light from her suit, she noticed a large hole inside the skull. It was burned.

“This creature was killed,” she stated. “Quite a clean kill, I guess.”

She couldn’t be sure: there could be other marks on the remains, but she had neither expertise nor means to perform a full autopsy.

All three aliens approached. Captain Zovvosk frowned.

“A Rinian,” he said.

“An intelligent species?” Shatter asked.

“Yes.”

“Were they able to breathe here?” Optimus asked.

“Well, our readings indicate there is no atmosphere breathable for most organic species,” captain Zovvosk said. “Not right now, anyway.”

“I’d just like to know what kind of weapon did it,” Fal Trena said.

Megatron looked towards him.

“Not a big one, since most of the body is left untouched,” he said.

Optimus rolled his eyes – or at least it seemed so to Miko. Or something like this. Watching them interact was a little amusing, if puzzling and disturbing at the same time. Shatter said earlier they were flirting – but what did she really mean with this, Miko had no idea.

“Does Soundwave have any idea where we should go?” Megatron asked Frenzy.

“He says he will give us instruction when they have something,” the little mech answered.

“So we have no idea. Perfect,” Fal Trena snarked.

Their captain gave them a strict look.

“You are following my orders, I remind you.”

“Of course I do.”

“I have a little déjà vu here” Miko heard Frenzy snickered. “Some things seem to be universal, aren’t they?”

He didn’t look at Megatron and Miko wasn’t sure the former Decepticon leader heard that, but she had no doubts he was who Frenzy referred to.

Regardless, the situation between the alien captain and his first officer was puzzling, as was another headshake performed by Thser-Nah.

They went further and further, paying attention to the ornaments, covering the walls with an elaborate arabesque, reaching deep inside the silent corridors.

“I really don’t like this place,” Shatter said, as they entered another hall, similar to the last one, only smaller and not as high – this one had an actual ceiling two storeys above. “This is like a stupid pointless maze. Nothing here seems to be functional. Why build something like this?”

“As an experiment, to observe specimens looking for the way out,” Frenzy said. “At least that is what Veiora told Soundwave.”

“Who would do this?” Shatter asked.

“Many scientists.” Thser-Nah shrugged.

“Yes, I can imagine,” the red triple changer frowned. “But, on such a large scale. I don’t like the idea, that there is someone or something out there that sees me as a specimen. I’m no one’s fragging toy. I’m not a thing.”

“No, you’re not,” said Megatron. He actually approached Shatter and almost, just almost, put the hand on her shoulder. His voice was reassuring. “None of us is. Even if someone or something sees us like this, we will not allow them to reduce us to specimens.”

Shatter gave out a hiss, the kind Miko already recognized as an equivalent of relieved breath. Funny how Cybertronians used atmosphere to cool their bodies, which caused several reflexes similar to those of organic creatures. Breathing without breathing.

But the way Megatron spoke… that was more fascinating. His tone and this gesture…

Miko was aware she had gotten in the middle of the tangled relationships between all those she interacted with: Cybertronians on one side, the aliens on the other.

She knew she shouldn’t interfere, which was frustrating, but at least she could watch.

The next corridor had actual doors – or something that looked like them, all of them seemingly closed.

As they entered the corridor, Frenzy stopped suddenly.

“Frag,” he said loudly.

“What happened?” Optimus demanded.

“I lost contact. Frag.”

“Should we go back?” Megatron asked.

“No idea. We can try, but this is… this is… Frag!” he repeated. “Can you hear this?”

There was a moment of silence, but Miko caught nothing on her comms. Neither did apparently any of both organic aliens and mecha.

“For a moment,” Frenzy said “I had heard something, like a voice. Alien voice, a language I didn’t understand. I tried to find Soundwave’s frequency again and got only this. It was creepy.”

“So something here tries to speak to us?” captain Zovvosk asked.

“If it is, I’d be prepared for the worst,” Megatron said.

Miko noticed Shatter’s eyes concentrating on him for a moment. Then, as they turned around in the attempt of finding a place where Frenzy lost contact, Shatter approached Optimus and started whispering something to him. Miko slid silently between them, carefully, not to be accidentally crushed under their feet, but close enough to adjust the sensitivity of her commline and to listen in just a little.

“...he is scared,” Shatter was saying. “You know him longer than I do. You must have noticed this.”

“I’ve never seen him like this.”

“In all those years? Never? This… This worries me. Is this something here or something those fraggers did to him?”

“I have no idea. But he should have stayed on the ship.”

“Well, too late now.”

“Something interesting?” said someone right behind Miko.

Thser-Nah was smiling at her, friendly as always, but right now this friendliness looked suspicious to Miko who felt her body tensing. Thser-Nah was a little too friendly, maybe, too open, too helpful. They must behave so for a purpose, right?

“This is… interesting. What they are talking about.”

“I’m sure it is,” Thser-Nah agreed, smiling again. “They sure are fascinating people.”

“I don’t even know them, not really,” Miko said.

How to escape this inquisitive look? Was Thser-Nah trying to use Miko to learn more?

Maybe Miko should let them?

“Aaand nothing,” Frenzy stated, dissapointed.

“And we are lost,” Fal Trena said. “Readings are crazy, again. At least mine. Anyone has something better?”

He never received the answer – a noise interrupted him.

It was loud, although it came from somewhere deep inside the structure. Grindy and unpleasant, at least to the human ear, it went on and on, shrill and long before it ended as abruptly as it started.

“Well, we had all heard that,” Shatter said. “Frenzy, this was not what you heard before, right?”

The little mech confirmed that no, it wasn’t.

The floor under their feet vibrated. Was it moving? Miko thought of one very, very old movie: characters were trapped in a labyrinth containing multiple similar chambers, most of them – deadly traps. The chambers were moving, or was that in the sequel? Miko didn’t remember, she was a kid as she was watching the movie and it was fascinating then. It was not as much fascinating to think they were in a similar deathtrap right now.

And that they were being watched. By someone who had fun.

“I think it might move,” she said. “The corridors and chambers. They might change their place.”

“If you are right,” Fal Trena exclaimed, “we will never find a way out. Blast you!” he shouted. “I told you, Attu, destroy them! You should have started shooting the first moment we noticed the ship. No warnings. Just destroy it!”

“We would kill cadet Nakadai!” Tsher-Nah protested.

“So what? One person. One human. Versus twenty of our people! Twenty good soldiers! They died because you hesitated!”

“They wouldn’t die if we didn’t attack” the captain said. “We could have waited, they would give us the permissions.”

“If they had any, they would be in our systems. Can’t you see, Attu?! Mechanicals can never be trusted, and most of those frels are Decepticons, on top of everything! They don’t even hide this! I bet if you check their data files, you would find out they are war criminals!”

Miko heard a displeased growl. She expected it to be Megatron, but he reminded surprisingly calm. It was Shatter. Her eyes glowed.

“If we were what you expect us to be,” the triple changer snarled, “you would be dead. We are what we are, but we offered you our help. You should be glad I have enough patience, but I warn you, I have no idea when it finally ends.”

“That would be enough, all of you. Including you, Shatter.” Megatron’s voice was loud and annoyed, and menacing. Well, what had Miko expected? Why did she even decide to go? Why didn’t she tell the captain who he was dealing with? She totally should have, but now it was too late and they all were as good as dead.

Of course, if she tried to shoot him in the back, where the armor was weakened and newly welded… She might have a chance if she managed to hit the spark…

“Who are you that you try to order us around?” Fal Trena shouted, looking at those red eyes on the level about twice his height.

“That is a good question,” Miko muttered, slightly louder as she should. Maybe the right person will overhear and understand something is terribly wrong.

She reached her hand towards the weapon. If Megatron answers, if a fight starts, she will be ready. She knows what should be done.

“It’s back,” Frenzy’s voice interrupted. “Not my contact, but the voice. Frag.”

“Can you transfer it to our frequencies?” Optimus asked. “Include the organics.”

Soon Miko also heard it over her commline: a sound, a voice, a whisper, words she couldn’t understand, but words nevertheless. They caused a shiver running down her spine.

“Why I don’t like it...” she heard Thser-Nah saying and she couldn’t agree more.

But what surprised her – what surprised them all, probably – was Megatron’s reaction.

First, Miko heard steps, slow but loud and as she looked towards the source, she saw the former Decepticon leader moving back, away from them, slowly. His expression was pure terror.

“No,” he said. “No. No.”

How bad was that? Shatter cursed. Frenzy looked at his former leader with a mixture of disbelief and fear. All three aliens seemed disoriented and disturbed.

Optimus stepped towards his archnemesis, very slowly and very carefully.

“Everything is all right?”

“Nothing is all right. We will all die here.” A burst of nervous laughter sounded in the corridor and it was as scary as the whisper over the comms. “And this would be the best thing that can happen.”

One more step and Megatron’s back almost touched the shouted doorway.

And then the doorway opened soundlessly, the darkness behind it.

Megatron made one more step. Was he even aware of what was happening? Was he doing it on purpose, or was something guiding him, even controlling him?

The voice over the comms sounded again, a short sentence and then something resembling laughter: that of an evil kind, Miko thought.

Ancient evils. Ancient evils looking at them and laughing, as they started to blame each other, as the worst of them was terrified for the reasons unknown. Ancient evils were pushing them to destruction.

She noticed Fal Trena rising their rifle. The weapon was bigger as the one she got, probably tested on large mechanoids.

She should allow it, shouldn’t she?

But wouldn’t their enigmatic opponents want just that?

She jumped. She was not heavy or strong enough to knock over a person more than twice her size, but the thrusters turned on an element of surprise gave her the advantage. She managed to pull Fal Trena’s arm, and with it the weapon, of course. As the alien pulled the trigger, the missile didn’t hit the intended target.

Miko shouted. She was not the only one who noticed Fal Trena attacking. As she was hanging on the alien’s arm, she saw Optimus, trying to push his former enemy of the way – or attacking him? She was not sure.

What she was sure of, was that the missile hit him on the shoulder, tearing off a chunk of plating, that both Cybertronian leaders fell into the dark opening and that the door shut behind them as if it was waiting for precisely such a moment.

***

Now she was a hostage, Miko thought.

Fal Trena held her in place, as they backed off towards the wall, maybe in hope another door swallow them like the ones that took Optimus and Megatron.

Shatter was examining the fateful door. Miko didn’t blame her, but she would really appreciate some help.

“Put her down,” Thser-Nah said.

“You saw what she did!” Fal Trena protested.

“You were the one who shot, Trena,” captain Zovvosk said. His voice was cold. “And you had no reason.”

“He would kill us!” Fal Trena protested loudly.

“No, he wouldn’t!” Shatter shouted. “You glitched scrap, he was terrified! Terminus!” She banged on the door, metal against metal. “Terminus? Orion? Can you hear me?! Primus damn it!”

“Put the human down, Trena,” captain Zovvosk said, stepping forward, his expression stern. “This is an order.”

Fal Trena laughed. Miko felt his grip loosening, so she tried to wriggle out, without much success.

“I outrank you,” Fal Trena said.

“Well, we both know that it’s not true anymore. Put the human down, put your weapon down. Nobody is going to kill you.”

“Well, I’d love to” Shatter snorted. “But I can wait until you attack us again.”

“In case you had not noticed,” Thser-Nah said, “we are just too ready to jump at each other’s throats. I doubt this is normal. Commander Fal, put cadet Nakadai down. You might be suspicious of our allies, but you should be even more of whoever is watching us.”

Fal Trena hesitated, but then Miko felt the ground under her feet.

Damn it, she felt weak and insignificant, being handled like this. She jumped away from her captor and towards Frenzy and Shatter. Captain Zovvosk reached his hand towards his officer.

“Now, your weapon, Trena.”

Fal Trena complied.

“You will regret it, Attu.”

“I already regret giving you the chance to redeem yourself.” The captain turned towards Miko and the two remaining Cybertronians. “This shouldn’t have happened. Shatter of Iacon, did you find something?”

“I have no idea how to open this. And I can’t even hear them.” Miko heard Shatters teeth – or whatever this what she had in her mouth that looked like teeth was called – gritting. “Fraggin’ scrap. We didn’t go so far just for this!”

“They will get out of there, and you know it,” Frenzy said slowly.

“We need to get out too, and now the two most competent of us are separated. And I really want to kill this fragger – the one who caused this.” Her eyes flared. “I don’t care what happens when we get out, but I’ll find the way to kill you, fleshbag. Did you want a bad Decepticon? Well, you will get one. But first, we get out of here. Let’s go!”

Miko just sighed. She looked towards Thser-Nah who wasn’t so menacing anymore. Were the paranoid thoughts influenced by the entity who whispered and laughed over the commline? They fed on their real thoughts...

If so, what was Megatron so afraid of? And why did it play on his fear and not on something more obvious, like the hatred towards Optimus?

For a while, they marched in silence, trying to explore the closed doorways, to listen, in hope they will hear something on the other side. Frenzy tried to regain contact with Soundwave: in vain. He said he felt his bondmates on the other side, but couldn’t send any useful information.

From time to time the whispers on the commline occurred again and Miko really wanted to find whoever did this and tear their head – provided they had separated body and head. One could never be sure when it came to ancient evils.

This time it was Thser-Nah who stopped. They rose their hand, telling everyone to stay silent and listen.

It came not on the comms this time, but from the corridor far behind. A rustling, a grinding, a hiss. Metallic sounds, but unlike those made by massive mechanoid walking.

They were not alone.

Miko took her weapon this time, she heard Shatter’s arm transforming into a gun, so did Frenzy’s, Thser-Nah and their captain took their own guns, only Fal Trena still remaining unarmed.

Finally, it came. Miko saw a floating spherical shape with tentacles similar to those that caught their ship, only much smaller, the claws precise enough to catch even a creature her size. There was one, but the rustling behind indicated, there were more of them coming.

“Well, frag,” Shatter said. “At least someone decided to come to us.”

“Are they sentient?” Thser-Nah asked.

“How do I know? They look like drones to me. And I think this might be the right time to shoot.”

They waited. The object stopped, waiting too, but Miko saw another approaching.

Then something clicked inside the wall, next to the place Miko stood. She turned, just in time to face another doorway opening, several tentacles shooting out towards her.

She jumped away, shouting. She heard a shot over her head, then another click.

“This is not a good place to stay!” Frenzy exclaimed.

“Everybody, back off!” Miko heard.

Now she wasn’t even sure who said that – only that they really started to move back, as the closed doors opened one by one, revealing more drones incoming. This was definitely not what Miko wanted to see.

But now wasn’t the time to wait for the lost party members to return.

Miko shoot, hitting one of the drones, but the next one almost grabbed her leg. Behind her captain Zovvosk returned the rifle to his officer. Fal Trena laughed shortly, before starting to shoot – at the right opponent, this time.

Behind them, a larger space opened.

Miko expected it to be one of the high halls or wells and was right: but while previously they entered them on the floor level, this time the well opened above and below them, deep, dark, bottomless. A bridge crossed to the other side.

There were in no such place before. Were they lost? Were the elements of the structure indeed changing position?

“Bridges are bad,” Frenzy stated. His feet were close to the beginning of the bridge. “Bridges mean someone falls from them.

“Not if we are on the other side first!” captain Zovvosk exclaimed.

He rushed on, his crewmembers following him. Shatter just shook her head, but followed, Miko and Frenzy with them.

The voice in the commline whispered again. At this point, Miko was already used to its presence; it was more annoying than scary.

Captain Zovvosk reached the platform on the other side. Miko was nearing the middle of the bridge when she heard shots behind her and Thser-Nah cursing.

“There is more of those drones here!” the alien exclaimed. “We are trapped!”

“We cannot run, we will fight!” Shatter answered, her railgun rattling, as she started shooting at the incoming drones.

Well, Miko thought, at least this time she is on my side… and I’m armed.

There was more shouting and shooting on the platform where the aliens stood, but Miko couldn’t really see what was happening, too occupied with the drones incoming, swarming around her. One of them hanged above her, and Miko saw the shiny orb, made of metal or glass or something that was both if that was even possible. It floated motionless for a second before it flew towards the woman.

Miko jumped away, trying to avoid the thing. None of her training prepared her of this, and she had to improvise. She felt adrenaline levels rising, her heart beating fast.

She heard a scream behind her. Which one of the aliens it was? She had no idea.

One of the drones grabbed Shatter, tentacles wrapping around the red arm. Shatter let out a scream and fired towards the orb.

Miko didn’t really have time to watch. She fired her own gun. She felt the recoil pulling her backward, as the energy missile hit the object. It screamed and it was a mechanical scream, not exactly like the one that Shatter let out.

But the thing didn’t stop. It attacked again. Miko jumped backward, fired, missed. The tentacle wrapped around her head and yanked her up. Now she was hanging upside down in front of the orb Was it her imagination, or did she saw a swirling black smoke inside and something resembling a large, grotesque face?

No time to think. She shot again, just where she believed the base of the tentacle was. The tentacle broke and loosened its grip.

Bridges meant someone was to fall and this time it was Miko.

She saw Shatter having less luck – five objects hovered around her, darkness and movement, glimpses of something behind it, mechanical tentacles reaching out for the red limbs, holding Shatter in place.

She saw Frenzy, firing furiously at the incoming objects.

She couldn’t see the aliens – only hope they were all right.

She was falling – at first she believed she would be able to land on the edge of the bridge, but her leg slipped – did the magnets fail? - and she began to fall down.

The thrusters were designed for lower gravity. They fired, but were too weak to lift Miko up.

„Shatter!” she screamed in the comms.

She was losing the mech of her sight and had no idea what is happening to her. But Shatter’s alt was something a flyer, right? And she had her own jet engines that she was able to use even in the root mode. So she could fly after Miko…

...If she was able to escape those things. And now Miko was unable to see if she was. All she saw was a mixture of silver, black, and red. Disappearing in the darkness. All she heard was firing guns. There was a voice in her comms for a moment, Shatter calling her, but it got distorted and then went silent.

There was a dark abyss below her and Miko was falling and falling and falling into it.

  



	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Working out solution – The augmented alien – Intrusion – Posession – Who is superior? - Additional comm line

Soundwave was restless. The ornaments Frenzy showed him evoked in him some deeply coded feeling of uneasiness bordering with fear. He hated this feeling: he couldn’t get to its source without performing a deeper scan of his systems and none of his internal databases had the information on the ornaments other than “resembling ancient Cybertronian imaginery” – which wasn’t helpful.

Veiora deemed the ornaments unimportant for her research.

“If they aren’t a piece of coded information on how this entire thing works, I don’t care for them,” she said.

“They don’t,” the second scientist said.

He sounded like he was sure, but Soundwave felt some restlessness from him – or at least the mechanical augments in his brain emitted the field that could be read as this. Quite a striking contrast: calm organic half and hidden emotions inside the mechanical one. Was Veiora aware of this?

“I’m waiting for something that matters,” she said, tapping her fingertips on the console. Soundwave disliked this, all those smears of organic residue, everywhere. One small human was enough: eight aliens with very different bodies and the chemical composition of fluids were a mess. But in spite of this Veiora was tolerable and she didn’t seem to share antymechanical sentiments.

“If Kaschig’s Field is indeed artificially created, then think how much mastery over dark matter those who made it have! Even if they are just using something that existed before, they were able to hide inside it, to harvest the dark matter, to create a singularity inside _Steadfast Progress_! Isn’t that amazing?”

“Amazing,” Soundwave admitted. “Dangerous.”

“Of course it’s dangerous! But if we were able to use this technology think, how much we could have gained! New energy sources, new drives for our ships!”

“And new weapons for every war in the galaxy,” Buzzsaw commented.

Veiora looked at him indignantly.

“How very Cybertronian, to think of the discovery as of a new way of war!”

“Show me a civilization that had never considered a military application of a discovery.”

Veiora blinked: once, twice.

“Oh”, she said. “Right. You are right.”

She didn’t get to continue these thoughts, just got into analyzing, creating one hypothesis after another, building schematics on the holographic table Soundwave used for strategy. She was in fact delighted working on such a piece of equipment – she said this openly, she didn’t expect a small private ship like Echo to have it. She didn’t ask any questions though and Soundwave managed to encrypt all the files that contained the plans of Citrix station and the entire operation routes and move them out of the drives Veiora and her assistant were now using deep into his own memory. They were now not accessible without connecting directly with Soundwave’s own brain module.

Meanwhile, the group sent to explore the structure entered inside and was exploring empty corridors. The scans Frenzy was doing were not very helpful: the type of material used on the walls and presumed doorways was not penetrable to what he had with himself. Soundwave knew this type of alloy: it was indeed hard to penetrate with most scanners. It also usually disrupted many frequencies and soon Soundwave noticed the data from Frenzy were coming slower than it should. The direct bond reminded untouched, luckily.

:Rumble: remain in contact: Soundwave ordered. :Give me anything Frenzy notices:

The twins had a stronger bond with each other than any of them had with their carrier.

“All right,” Veiora said, placing her organic – dirty – hands on the console of holoprojector. “I have one conception here. Croz'ik, could you?”

Her assistant nodded and Soundwave saw a panel on their augmentation opening.

Direct transfer. He couldn’t say he was impressed.

“Would you mind?” Veiora asked.

Soundwave had already calculated all the risks. He nodded.

New data flew to  _Echo’s_ computer. New model appeared over the holoprojector. Veiora started to shape and move it, forming a presumed model.

“Provided we will be able to create a singularity – use the device inside the structure, supposedly – we can detonate it. This should have precise timing and placement, done badly it would destroy us, but done wrong...”

Her assistant stood there, arms folded on their chest, eyes – both the organic one and the augment – blank. By what Soundwave saw, the data they were transmitting were gathered directly during creation of singularity on  _Steadfast Progress_ and during the explosion of the Council ship.

“Done wrong it destroys _Echo,_” Soundwave said.

Veiora nodded.

“Done right it can create a breach in the net, close enough to _Echo_ so that we were able to escape. This is, of course, the hypothesis, but… Croz’ik,” she said to her assistant. “That’s all I wanted from you.”

Croz'ik ’s eyes blinked, the organic one still murky, the mechanical one white, almost not glowing. It was glowing before, Soundwave recalled, but for  Croz'ik connecting to  _Echo’s_ systems must have demanded using a trance of sorts.

This looked clean on the outside, but Soundwave never trusted anyone who connected directly to his systems – no matter if “his systems” was his own brain, his cassettes or the ship that belonged to him. Direct connection meant an opportunity to find something compromising. Overlooked footage with Megatron. A hole in the data containing  _Echo’s_ route. Any little detail a normal person would ignore, but a trained spy would be able to find.

:Rumble: run the full diagnostic:

:Yes, boss: the symbiont answered. He hesitated, a little, and the emotional feedback from him was distressed.

Frenzy. Soundwave reached out. The other twin was there, but direct communication was broken.

:Rumble: is distressed.”

:We all are, boss: Rumble noted.

He was right: all three of them noticed the loss of communication and a slight, only slight, but visible, unrest from Frenzy.

Details.

:I’ll be running you the diagnostics, Boss:

The augmented organic was holding a hand pressed to their forehead.

“Veiora,” they said to the scientist. “I think I need...”

She approached, smiled and lightly touched her assistant’s shoulder.

“Go, lie down. Forgive us, Soundwave,” she said. “Croz’ik doesn’t always have all his strength after this. The augmentations are not perfect and cause discomfort. I hope you understand this.”

“Croz’ik: can go get some rest,” Soundwave agreed. “The diagnostics of _Echo_: in progress.”

Croz’ik didn’t notice this. They just left the room, their entire body looked heavy, organic eye – unseeing, the mechanical one was now blinking with intense white light.

“Diagnostics?” Veiora asked, surprised. “Why?”

“Routine procedure after connection to an alien system.”

“Oh. Right. You’re right. I’m sorry, again. Is your ship sentient?”

“_Echo_: a standard private spacecraft. Sentience and consciousness not part of standards for Cybertronian transport.”

“But I had heard your cities…” Veiora blinked. “Sorry. Now it’s not the time for this. Any news from the team inside this thing?”

“Negative. Direct communication with Frenzy: lost.”

The alien frowned.

“This is a bad sign,” she said. “If necessary, I’d be willing to enter there myself, but I am aware that if we lost the party, then...”

“Symbiotic bond with Frenzy untouched,” Soundwave interrupted.

:Boss:

He looked at Rumble. The symbiont looked worried.

:Found something?:

:I’m not sure but…: Rumble started.

His field spiked with fear.

Soundwave felt it too: Frenzy’s fear muted by the weakened link, but, very present and very real.

Rumble backed from the console. Soundwave saw him clenching his hand. Veiora saw that too. She looked at both mecha, worried.

“Everything all right?” she asked.

“Frenzy: in trouble. Rumble: nervous.”

He saw Buzzsaw cocking his head to watch their carrier. There was almost accusation in the birdlike cassette eyes. Buzzsaw didn’t have to say this, Soundwave knew the doubt they all shared: they had sent Ravage with Megatron and they had lost Ravage. They had lost Laserbeak. Were they going to lose Frenzy too?

Hadn’t they talked of this before?

“We had been worse,” the Rumble said, ignoring, on purpose, Buzzsaw’s doubts. “Frenzy is alive. They will get out. With...” Soundwave noticed a slight stammer in Rumble’s voice. “Terminus they will get out. And with Orion. He doesn’t know when to die. But we have problems here, boss” Rumble was trying to say it as calmly, as he could, but Soundwave felt his anxiety. “I ran this diagnostic. There is something alien in our systems.”

***

“This is not Croz’ik.” Veiora said.

She stood face to face with Soundwave, with head risen so she was looking him into the visor. Brave alien, not afraid of a Decepticon who had just assumed her assistant infected the ship with something.

Something was a good description. Soundwave had no idea what kind of coding that was.

Neither had Veiora.

“This is not Croz’ik,” she repeated.

“Rumble: full monitoring. Who had access to _Echo’s_ systems?”

“We, boss. The organics – the two here, the other too are recharging. Sorry, but the technoorganic is the most probable source. Oh, scrap!” he exclaimed.”

Soundwave looked at the holoprojector. So did Veiora. She shrieked and cursed in her own language.

The alien code was destroying all the data and calculations they already had.

“No, no, no, no!” she shouted, running towards the table, putting her fingers on the console. “Save this, save this, save this! Shit, shit, shit! Can any of you save this to your drive, or whatever you have inside?!”

“To get infected with this slag of a code? Forget it.”

Veiora yelled. Soundwave understood that very well.

“Rumble: find me a source.”

“The technorganic,” the cassette said with a satisfied smile on his face.

Soundwave was aware his smile was masking anxiety, but Veiora didn't know that. She let out a yell.

“I’ll take care of this, boss,” Rumble informed and run out of the room before Soundwave was able to stop him.

:Rumble: doesn’t go alone.:

Emotions of both his cassettes were now overflowing Soundwave: Rumble’s anxiety masked with overconfidence, Frenzy’s fear and desperation – and pain.

Veiora in  _Echo’s_ little meeting room was as desperate with her fingers on the console, cable connecting her datapad.

“Help me save this!” she shouted.

It was easier said than done: the virus seemed to be stronger than every firewall  _Echo_ had. Separating subsystems and locking them before the code went farther seemed to be a good solution.

But this was not the only problem.

One of the screens showed the inside of the room  Croz;ik went to get some rest.

The alien turned around, their mechanical eye blinking with bright white, their movements slow and cautious. One of their hands held a blaster, and as soon as Rumble entered, it fired.

Soundwave knew it a moment earlier. His thought was swift and Rumble reacted instantly - to Soundwave’s transmission and to the sight of the weapon, jumping off its way – but it was futile, as the movements of the alien got quicker.

Soundwave felt his symbiont’s pain. The missile went through the chest, damaging fuel lines above the spark chamber. It couldn’t kill on site but was dangerous and Rumble needed medical attention – as quick as possible.

:Flatline, with me: Soundwave ordered. :Buzzsaw: help Veiora.”

It was a mistake to allow Rumble to go. It was a mistake to allow Frenzy to go earlier. Now they both were wounded and in danger. Saving Rumble was possible.

“Croz’ik: must be stopped,” he said to Veiora.

„I’ll go with you,” she said.

Croz’ik expected visitors. He shoot as soon as he noticed them, but Soundwave was not an as easy target, as his symbiont – and was prepared. He managed to avoid the projectile that passed him and left a scorch mark on the wall.

„Croz’ik!” the Veiora screamed. “What are you doing?!”

She sounded more desperate than Soundwave expected her to be.

Croz’ik didn’t put the weapon down. They looked at their boss – friend? Mate? - and made an expression, that was a weird grin, probably not matching their species’ facial structure.

„They are doomed,” they said. „You are doomed. Poor, poor creatures who believe they could do something, that your existence matters.”

„This isn’t not your friend anymore,” Flatline said.

„What is that?” Veiora asked her expression more scared than fascinated.

„Their mind is possessed by something.”

The scientist gluped, her eyes had gotten wider – from fear, from concern?

„Croz’ik, tell me you are there,” she begged.

„The name of the husk doesn’t matter,” the being inside Croz’ik said. „You don’t matter. You are but a fuel, a building stock. You can fight, but you will never run. You are in our realm now.” Then it turned towards Soundwave. „You survived the Destroyer and you think you matter. But we were here before, before the Destroyer ever appeared, before you were built, before you were given sentience. How stupid of an experiment this was, creating something that thinks it matters, creating something that thinks! How much fun it was, watching you struggle, watching you grow to believe that you are intelligent, you are autonomous, you have free will; how fun it was to watch you destroy each other and struggling to escape the doom that you brought upon yourselves.”

„What are you?” Flatline asked, which was not really wise, but Soundwave could understand the medic’s curiosity.

„We are what was before, we are the seeders who had thrown the useless life among the stars and who will harvest it eventually when we find it fit. We are what you had forgotten, believing in your little meaningless gods, but your gods were created by us and your gods served us long before we decided to retreat. We are what you will never be, we are superior.”

„Damn you!” Veiora screamed.

She ran – straight at her possessed friend, no matter the blaster in their hand, no matter the glow in the mechanical eye. „There are no gods, just creatures that think they can pretend to be them!”

She charged and jumped on the possessed  Croz’ik , pushing them to the ground. The blaster fired, hitting some cabling in the ceiling and breaking it. The two aliens fell on the floor, tumbling together. Veiora screamed and squeaked.

„Flatline: take Rumble,” Soundwave ordered.

Without hesitating, the medic picked up the wounded cassette and left.

Soundwave waited.

The fight continued and there was blood or some other organic fluid leaking of one of the aliens or both. Several colors mixing, an awful smell. Veiora reached out her hand to grab her assistant’s mechanical component, like she wanted to tear it out of their face, fingers clawing at the metal.  Croz’ik pushed her and she fell on the floor and hit her head with a sound of pain. She was smeared with blood. Possessed  Croz’ik was standing above her, panting. They turned to Soundwave. Damaging or killing Veiora was not enough of a shock to end the possession.

But Soundwave waited just for this. He fired his own gun, before  Croz’ik managed to pick up the blaster.

„You are not superior,” he said.

The other alien moaned quietly, moved, trying to get up. She was alive and that was confusing. How did one get organics fixed?

Soundwave could leave her like that, but he needed her; Primus damn it, how could she be so stupid?

No. She was desperate, her precious data were damaged, her assistant fell prey to something that lurked inside Kaschig’s field and called itself a god. She was desperate, and scared and angry and Soundwave didn’t need to be able to read her field to understand this.

She also helped save Rumble’s life.

„Query: how may I help you?”

Veiora sat up with a visible effort. There was a liquid on her face and leaking of their month, but she smiled, faintly.

„Take me to the others,” they asked. “Damn, everything is lost.”

He could damaged the organic further by carrying her, but she asked, so he tried to be as gentle, as possible. It was not much unlike carrying a damaged mech, after all, only you needed to take care not to crush the delicate, squishy body. Veiora was light for her size, but that’s how the organic matter was, compared to metal.

She helped save Rumble, Soundwave though. She would deserve to live even if he didn’t need her.

This was something he experienced extremely rarely: a little of warm feelings towards a being from species other than his own.

“We hadn’t lost yet,” he said.

“Your friends there… I hope they find something because if they don’t, we are doomed. I need to perform an autopsy on Croz’ik. I never expected I’ll need to do this. It would be fascinating if it was not my friend… but you don’t see something like this every day, I guess. I need to fix myself first. I hope Croz’ik will be the only one affected. Could you run a diagnostic test for you and other Cybertronians? At least you can do something like that. We cannot.”

***

The two remaining aliens were awake and knew how to perform first aid on an organic – even from species other than their own. Soundwave left Veiora with them and want to the med bay.

„How is Rumble?”

„Stable,” Flatline sighed. „Which means, as Ratchet said, ‘He isn’t dying at the moment.’ Primus help it stays like this. I was not ready for this.”

„None of us were,” Soundwave said.

„That is not comforting. That thing, down there… I have no idea what it was, but I was not prepared. No one was. And there are more of them, there. What if the others didn’t make it?”

Soundwave looked at the small frame on the medical berth. Rumble looked like he was even smaller than usual. His presence in Soundwave’s spark was faint but steady. As Flatline said: Rumble wasn’t dying at the moment.

So wasn’t Frenzy, but he was also faint, weak and distant.

If the others were dead, that would mean they had lost. They had undertaken this operation for nothing – only to die in the anomaly, at the metaphorical hands of unknown beings calling themselves the „seeders” of life.

„We warned you,” Buzzsaw said. He sat on Soundwave’s shoulder, brushed his beak against the larger mech’s neck and head.

„You did,” Soundwave admitted.

Was he a fool? He was ready to give everything to get Megatron back, and now he could lose this everything: his cassettes, his life, Megatron again – if he didn’t lose him already. Was he so blinded by his loyalty, by the feelings he suppressed for long, that he made the decisions that lead him there?

Suddenly he felt fear: crushing, crumbling fear coming from outside.

It was Frenzy, alive, but afraid.

:Frenzy!: he called, hoping the symbiont will hear him.

Another jolt of fear, from Rumble now. Even damaged and offline, Rumble must have felt what was coming from his twin. The bond amplified it: they were connected, bonded forever and they already knew, how it was to lose a member of their bond.

Was it worth it, something in Soundwave asked. Was Megatron worth it? It’s not that he was ever going to love you anyway and you knew it, and you followed it, and for nothing. Frenzy is out there, wounded and afraid. What if he was captured, what if he will be tortured? You will feel his pain and you will feel his death. Rumble is wounded and weak; do you believe he will survive the loss of his twin? You will lose them both. Megatron is probably dead already, along with the others, and soon it will be over for Buzzsaw and you as well. You should have never undertaken this.

There was a sudden jolt of pain, coming from the bond. Frenzy. Under his mask Soundwave gritted the dentae, trying to stop himself from screaming. He will not. He will fight, although there was nothing to fight for anymore, everything was lost, Frenzy was afraid and in pain and Rumble squirmed and screamed on the medical berth, feeling his twin’s torment.

Soon, something inside Soundwave said, soon it will be over for all of you.

He left the med bay and went to the room occupied by the remaining crew of  _Steadfast Progress_ .

Veiora was sitting on the makeshift “berth”. She had some kind of a rag twisted around her head. Bandage, Soundwave remembered, used to stop bleeding. She was turning the datapad in her hands. Seeing Soundwave she smiled.

“Thank you for saving this piece of data,” she said.

“The benefit is for us all,” he answered.

“Well, if we get out of here, yes,” she agreed. She got up, letting out a sound of pain. “How is your friend?”

“Rumble: unconscious. Stable.”

“And his sibling?”

“Still no contact.”

He omitted the knowledge of pain on the other side of the bond.

“Sorry to hear this. Let’s get to work. What’s the damage to the system?”

“The alien code: still in Echo’s systems. The projector table cut off, safety at 70% level.”

“We will work on what we have,” Veiora decided.

She had not one pad, Soundwave noted, but two, the other one smaller, created for a being of another size, probably of other species. Belonging to one of her crewmates.

She smiled at two other aliens and left with Soundwave.

“They are scared,” she admitted when they were alone. “And I cannot help them. I’m not a psychologist, or diplomat or anything like that. I envy you: you don’t feel fear.”

Soundwave wasn’t sure if she meant himself or his entire species. In both cases, this statement was a lie.

“Fear: reaction linked to the will of survival.”

“Indeed,” Veiora agreed. “Now, show me the alien code.”

This was brilliant, he realized. If they managed to decipher the code that infected Echo, they would be able to use it to hack any other devices from the structure. To master the technology they were seeking.

“We will do it,” the alien said.

Her hands were shaking, her face was twitching. Fear. Organic fear, making the body create a mixture of chemicals and leading to uncontrollable reactions. But in the end, fear was exactly what Soundwave said: reaction linked to the will of survival. Every sentient being willing to keep on existing knew it.

So what about the fear of inevitable? Like inevitable failure? Inevitable loss? Inevitable death?

“Veiora: is able to analyze complicate coding?” Soundwave asked.

“To a degree,” she said.

“Veiora: is going to analyze the effect of the self-diagnostic I will perform.”

She turned to him, surprised and confused.

“Suspicion: Soundwave not free from the influence. Veiora: will compare to the alien code and verify.”

Her eyes glowed with excitement.

“This is an honor,” she said.

An honor and an opportunity to get a glimpse of how a Cybertronian brain module and coding works.

In other circumstances, Soundwave would never allow someone to do something like this, especially not an alien who would be able to endanger the mission. The interference in someone’s mind was a horrible thing, in ancient days mnemosurgery and shadowplay were used as means against political dissidents; during the war some Decepticons hadn’t exactly avoided mind control on their opponents. Allowing one to enter your mind was an act of bravery – and desperation.

Veiora took her new, clean datapad. Soundwave sat calmly, as she connected it to his systems. He let it run in the background diagnostics mode, allowing him to perform many tasks, both physical and mental ones. He was aware he had no time to fully offline most of the functions to run full diagnostics.

Veiora needed to multitask too, running the table again, opening what remained of the file. She switched between looking at it and at the datapad connected to Soundwave.

“This is interesting,” she noted. “You have several frequencies open simultaneously. I suppose this is a standard communication method?”

“Frequencies for the symbiotic bond.”

“Fascinating. And this one?” she approached him and pointed at the list.

“Commline ready for the others when they return. This: private commlines used for secure communication with other mecha.”

“And this?”

He had no idea and this was disturbing.

“Because it is open currently” Veiora added. “Something is using it. Someone. Something.”

A jolt of fear, a strong one, verging on panic. Soundwave never panicked. He knew fear, but not something like this.

Danger. The alien knows too much.

No, he dismissed this thought. The alien knew just enough to use this information against the being who tried to mess with his mind.

The frequency, once known, could be used from both sides.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a prolonged writing crisis. It hit the bottom on Monday and I didn't have enough strength for an update. I would really appreciate some feedback - I'm struggling with my insecurities. Seeing the kudos helps, but there is always fear, that people who gave them lost their interest afterward (there is one person, who comments regularly - it's my friend and the long-time reader). So I would really love, if you left some comments.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into the labyrinth – Empty bodies – The armor – Parallel universes, part 1 – Miko to the rescue!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is one very, very self-indulgent element in this chapter and I'm not sorry about it at all.

Chapter 15

  


The fall was harsh, although thrusters saved Miko from killing herself and breaking bones and the suit. She felt where her body hit the ground though, and was going to have bruises, maybe one rib broken, but nothing more. Fine. This was not a bad result for someone who had just fallen into a supposed well in an alien spaceship/space station/whatever the hell it was. And who was a small organic. Unprotected by thrusters and suit, Miko would probably be a wet stain right now.

She got up, feeling the pain in the places that were hit. No broken bones. That was fine. Internal organs? Probably undamaged as well.

She looked up. From the bottom of the well, she couldn’t see the bridge anymore.

„Shatter!” she called over the comms. „Shatter, can you hear me? Frenzy?”

Nothing. Not even static, as if the commline was dead.

„Anyone? Thser-Nah? Captain Zovvosk? Optimus?”

No answer.

Shit.

She could probably sit there and wait. If Shatter was ok, she would go back for her, right?

Only, even alive Shatter had no reason to search a human whom she probably believed dead. Well, another organic killed. This was not Shatter’s problem. Shatter was a Decepticon, she didn’t care for other species, and Miko had tried to kill her leader anyway.

Not that Miko couldn’t understand that. She would be loyal to her friends, not to temporal allies/accidental hostages/potential enemies.

Shatter couldn’t be Miko’s friend.

Optimus could, probably. Maybe. Like ‘Segun was, but well, ‘Segun didn’t exist at all.

Optimus returned for Miko. He returned even for his archenemy, and that was something not everyone would do. But then, in space, Optimus could hear Miko - now he couldn’t.

She was on her own.

At least the oxygen tanks were full.

„All right,” she said. „Time to find the exit. Save the others, if they are alive.”

She had no idea how she could save people who were all larger than her and many of them made of metal, but in the end, there could be many different kinds of dangers lurking in the darkness. Like whatever watched them and tried to force them to kill each other. Miko really wanted to kill this thing.

First, she needed to destroy the drones, if she met any again. Not to get on another bridge.

Don’t split the party. Keep off the bridges. Shit, how could they had been so stupid? How could they go into this structure in the first place?

She went towards the wall of the well and started to walk on the perimeter, one hand on the wall. She was not surprised when she found the first opening, then another and another, like the doors leading from the bottom of the shaft towards the darkness in the deeper parts of the structure. Planned, but who planned that and what was it for – Miko had no idea other than the one that scared her the most: that it was a labyrinth for large, intelligent rats.

She had also no idea whatsoever where she should go, so she finally decided to enter a random corridor. There was no light, no structures on the walls and floor, no sounds and echoes. No one on the comms, although she tried again:

„Optimus? Shatter? Frenzy? Thser-Nah? Captain Zovvosk?” and then: „Megatron?”

Because fuck false names. She didn’t care for this anymore. She wanted them out, all of them, even Commander Fal Trena.

No one answered.

Once she heard something on the commlink, but it was this hateful voice again: a hissing, a whisper, unrecognizable, not resembling any sound she had heard Cybertronians or other aliens making. Now, when she was alone with the voice, it was scary again. It belonged here, while she did not.

She should not be afraid. She remembered all the horror movies she watched, starting from her childhood when she mostly laughed at the parts that were supposed to be scary. She always believed she would just go against whatever waited out there in the darkness, kick its ass. She remembered some horror movies watched with Sari: not that Sari was easy to scare either, but she liked to curl against her friend, nice, soft, and warm. And sometimes they laughed together. And sometimes they were telling each other stories about how they would deal with danger.

„I’m alone now,” Miko said, to the silent comms, to the whispers, to the darkness. „And this is your home, fucker, but you know what? I’m coming for you, and you are giving me my aliens back. Even Megatron, because if someone kills him today, that is gonna be me. So you can hide, you can run, you can mess with my mind, but in the end, it is me who will kick your ass.”

She felt better. She smiled to herself. She was going to make it, get out of here and not alone, go back to Earth, and have her next big adventure together with Sari, as they had dreamed in the past. That what was going to happen.

She ventured forth and finally she saw a faint light in the distance. The corridor opened into another round chamber, but not a well this time, although it was high. Numerous niches were situated on the walls, and in each of them, Miko saw a mechanoid.

They were all the same size, had the same shape, the same color, pale silver of the unpainted metal, lighter, than Megatron’s default paint, devoid of any color accents, any insignia. They were not dead, presumably, because what Miko knew, was that dead Cybertronians turned ash gray – for reasons unknown for human science. But the mechanoids didn’t have to be Cybertronians, right? And it was possible that they were never alive in the first place, that they were shells without sparks or any other life force, without consciousness. Machines, mass-produced, identical, where Cybertronians came in all shapes, sizes, and colors.

Their eyes were open, but lightless and empty and Miko thought this was much more unsettling sight than when Megatron looked at her for the first time. Megatron, with all he represented, was a person, with history, failings, personality, while those beings were just… they just were there, waiting for nothing.

They weren’t even alive.

Miko walked away from them towards the door leading to another room.

This one looked identical – only there were no mechanoids in the niches, but tanks filled with a murky liquid. Submerged in this liquid were organic creatures – Miko hadn’t recalled seeing this particular species, but this meant nothing. They were a little reptilian, with green, scaly skin, massive tails. They floated in their tanks, as lifeless, as the mechanoids in the previous chamber. Empty shells. Machines. They were the same, two kinds of creatures, mass-produced and stored for an unknown purpose. Whoever did it didn’t make the difference between mechanical and organic beings – probably between mechanical and organic life either?

One of the tanks was broken. The fluid drained, then dried on the floor, leaving an ugly stain. The body lied now half in the tank, half outside, as lifeless as the other, but mummified. The creature either was never alive or died soon after the tank broke – was broken? From the inside? From the outside?

Miko left this chamber. There was this uneasy feeling, this expectation that one of the creatures would awake and proceed to attack her.

But she was armed, right?

For now, her weapon remained useless.

She heard a sound. A loud, mechanical sound, that could be a screech in malfunctioning machine… or a mechanoid screaming. She didn’t like the first option, but the second freaked her out even more.

But she was ready. She just needed to find the source of the sound and if this was one of her companions screaming, save them.

The next chamber was like the others, but the niches were empty. She, however, noticed something else.

There was a mechanoid corpse on the floor, ash gray and dismembered. It was not one of the mechanoids that she saw two chambers before: this one was bigger, in different shape and had elements indicating it was a transformer. Miko starred, thinking of the bones in the first half. Another person from the outside that just died here.

There was something unreal in the way the mech’s chestplates were torn, how the hole in their frame gaped. Something had torn this mech’s spark away, leaving gushing hole and cabling sticking around. Miko thought that she wouldn’t want to see any of her companions killed this way. She was nevertheless looking fascinated at the exposed machinery surrounding the empty space.

Beside the dead lay a device – it was not a part of the corpse, she thought, as it was not matte gray. It was silver and blue, round, small enough for Miko to pick it up. It was roughly the size of a palm of the dead mech – Miko needed both her hands to take it.

As she did, the device hummed in her hands. Through the suit gloves, she felt slight vibrations.

She got tense. Was it alive? Was it the mech’s spark, still active?

If it was a spark, there would be cables sticking out the casing, that connected it to the frame before. Miko remembered Megatron’s back and what she believed was a spark chamber, visible behind this all mess. It looked different.

This was something else. It might have been alive… or just a device of some sort.

But I won’t carry it, she thought.

It was too big, too heavy to carry it for long.

“I’m not an RPG character to pick up everything I find,” she muttered to herself, still holding the device in her hands. One of the gloves slipped and Miko’s palm pressed into what turned out to be a rather large button.

The device started to hum louder and vibrate harder. Miko gasped and, before she managed to jump away, the device clasped the suit in the middle of her chest.

She froze. She expected the device to explode anytime and she cursed her blasted curiosity that lead her to this place. When the device started to expand, she thought it was designed to hold the victim in place – may be so that someone could take the spark out? Miko didn’t have a spark, but if anyone or anything clawed inside her chest she would die quicker, than any mechanoid.

But the device didn’t hold her. It transformed – from the lack of better word. She found herself encased in a large armor that surrounded and supported her.

She forced herself not to squeak from surprise.

She used power armor once before: it was a crude device that in theory was designed to allow a human hand to hand fight against a Cybertronian. In reality, it was too underdeveloped to give a real advantage. Miko regretted that. Inside several layers of steel, she felt powerful.

And now she stood on the alien ship, in armor that… that…

She moved her hand and the armor moved swiftly, as Miko used to in her normal suit – or even quicker. She tried to walk – the reaction time was almost unnoticeable. Oh, she would need some time to adjust her movements to gained size and weight, but it was better than the training armor.

“Sweet,” she exclaimed, satisfied.

She felt powerful. Could anything stand in her way now? She could take on Megatron himself – no that she hoped she wouldn’t have to, but anyway…

“All right, Miko, don’t get overhyped,” she reminded herself. “You have no idea what it does… Or if it doesn’t affect your life support.”

But the oxygen levels in her suit’s tanks didn’t start to drop rapidly, neither did power. As if the armor had its own power source. It probably had, since it started on its own.

If only Sari could see me, Miko thought. Sari’s father would try to put his hands on the armor, disassemble it and reverse engineer it, but Sari would immediately want to try it on.

Sari should see this all. It was unfair she was not with Miko now.

Miko sighed. Thinking of Sari now was not the best idea, she had other things to do. But she wanted her friend with her, badly.

She wanted to return to Sari.

With the armor, this looked a little more possible, even if difficult.

She heard the scream again – yes, this time it sounded more like a scream, agonizing, painful. She gritted her teeth. She never expected she will react like this to a mechanoid in pain – possibly one of humanity’s enemies. But… Fuck it.

„Fuck you, assholes. I’m getting them back!” she shouted. „I’m coming for you! Hold on there!” she called to her comms, hoping that the screaming mech will hear her.

Nobody answered her, again.

She ran, hoping, she will find the source of scream in time.

It was surprisingly easy in the armor. It made Miko quicker, the gun wasn’t hanging on the back anymore, but was now clasped to the arm – it didn’t outweigh it though, as if the armor changed its center of mass to accommodate the weapon. And there were the thrusters, more powerful, that what her original suit had, so when Miko run into another shaft, she just turned them on – it came to her surprisingly easy – and jumped.

She landed the floor above, on the entrance to the corridor. There must have been a bridge there too, but it was retracted now.

She heard screaming once more. A bit closer this time?

Miko entered the corridor.

It was dark there. Her new armor had quite a powerful reflector, but the darkness here was thick, like the smoke on the beings she fought on the bridge. Miko couldn’t see much.

And then something sounded in her commlink. Scr a ping and static, but better than silence and whispers. Miko’s heart raced.

„Optimus? Shatter? Frenzy? Thser-Nah Captain Zovvosk? Megatron?”

„Hello?” she heard an unknown voice. It sounded human, it sounded more or less female and it was definitely speaking English. „Hello, anybody there? Hello? Where are you? I’m coming. Stay where you are.”

„Hello, who are you?”

„I am Parvati Ryder. Who are you?”

Another human being in the place, or just an illusion created by whatever lurked there?

„My name is Miko Nakadai,” Miko said. What the hell, the creatures who lived there didn’t have the power to use people’s names against them, right? „Cadet Miko Nakadai of the UEF.”

„What is UEF?” the voice asked. Now Miko heard it clearer, closer. “Are you from Nexus? Hyperion?”.

“I have no idea what you are talking about,” Miko said. “I’m fucking lost here and those fuckers have one of my… friends.”

“I’ll help you. Don’t move. I’m coming.”

And she came: a woman about her age, round brown face and brown eyes under the helmet of a white-and-blue space suit. Insignia Miko had never seen before, although the suit was of human design.

This was not what Miko expected: a human being.

“You are real. Fuck, you have to be real, those fuckers wouldn’t try to mess with my mind by projecting someone I’ve never met, right?”

“What fuckers?” the woman asked.

“Assholes that built this fucking thing. I’ve never seen any of them, but all those drones and the empty bodies… You must have seen them. Fuck, I’m happy to see an actual living human being. How did you get there?”

“We discovered the Meridian several months ago.”

“So you were able to survive here? How is that…” she started, but then the woman’s silhouette flickered like a hologram.

“What is happening? You are disappearing, like… Fuck you!” she screamed, “Assholes! I have no idea what you are playing, but I’m gonna kick the asses of every single one of you!”

“Miko… Miko, I have no idea what is happening here, but it looks like you…”

Then the woman in space suit faded. Miko was standing in the dark, alone, with no sounds, nothing and no one to see to hear.

„Hey!” she called, hoping the woman will return.

She did not.

Miko stepped forward.

The scenery changed rapidly. She was now in a large room with a big window. The view indicated, there was a big city outside and the room was situated in a rather high building. There was someone sitting on the bed and staring at Miko.

This time Miko knew who it was: Sari. Sari was waiting for her: Miko recognized her dark face and reddish hair, but her friend looked like she wore some kind of an armor herself. It was skin tight, like in the comic books, while the thing Miko wore was large and bulky.

But then Sari looked at her and Miko realized, this was not the armor, her friend wore: Sari’s skin was partially metal. Sari’s eyes glowed bright blue. Sari’s face was alien.

Miko stood there, frozen.

Her friend approached, slowly, an alien being, more alien than the Cybertronians – because Miko got already used to them, and because Sari was now a being defying categories of “organic” and “mechanoid”. She was both, like this man, Blackrock, who was some kind of Cybertronian experiment.

“Sari?” Miko asked.

Glowing eyes stared at her and they looked empty, unlike eyes of any Cybertronian Miko encountered.

“Who are you?” the alien Sari asked.

“Miko. I’m your best friend,” Miko said, and at the same moment she realized that the being in front of her could not be Sari, it must have be an illusion of sorts.

Of course, the blasted structure messed with her mind again, this time creating illusions: of the unknown woman, of Sari now. Why did it choose those particular images? Miko had no idea. Neither unknown woman, nor metal skin on Sari was something Miko’s mind could produce on its own. 

“I’ve never met you,” the alien Sari said.

She approached. Her movements were swift, full of weird grace, that made Miko watch, enchanted. This being was eerie, a bit scary, but also beautiful.

Alien Sari blinked and suddenly her eyes changed – back to normal human eyes, brown as normal Sari’s eyes were.

“Nice armor,” the alien Sari said.

This was totally not what Miko expected. The alien being pretending to be her friend should try to attack her, right?

„Where do you have it from?”

„I found it.”

„I found it,” the girl in the mirror said. It was Miko herself, but more than ten years younger. Pink in her hair, colorful clothes, excited eyes blinking from behind the glass of the helmet. „It’s mine now! I am powerful!”

Some things never change, Miko thought.

Wait. What was happening now? A moment ago she stood in Sari’s room and Sari was a technoorganic alien: now she was looking at her younger self, both of them wearing the same power armor, the younger Miko even more excited than the adult one.

This young Miko was not imprisoned in a weird structure, plagued by visions of impossible people, watched by unfriendly presence. This was Miko from another reality, but not her.

“I need to go,” she said to this other Miko; the other Miko nodded and then disappeared.

Miko found herself in another large chamber. This one had fewer levels than the other one, fewer doors and this time no niches in the walls, no empty bodies. Just a large machine in the middle, pulsing with lights and humming.

Like something alive, Miko thought and then dismissed this thought quickly. She didn’t want another living element here.

The device was making low, humming sounds. The floor trembled and vibrated and Miko felt it in her feet, in her armor, in her body.

She felt the urge to shoot the machinery. She rose the arm on which the gun was situated, aimed. She would destroy something, for sure, damaged the damned structure, hurt those, who build it. Maybe she wouldn’t solve the problem, but that would be just a beginning: she could go on like this, destroying everything in her way and…

And there was scream again. This time she also heard it in her commlink and she had no doubt, although she didn’t know who is screaming.

„I’m coming for you!” she shouted, hoping the screaming person would hear her.

She turned off the thrusters, jumped another level up, ran towards the sound.

There was the door in her way – massive, though smaller than the entrance to the structure. Shut, but not soundproof. And the sounds coming from the other side were not pleasant. When had she learned to have so much compassion for mechanoids?

This was not the time to think about it. She aimed at the door, concentrated on shooting and the armor allowed it like it had some intelligence of its own or at least was tuned to her brain waves.

The projectile hit the door which creaked and dented but held still. Miko came nearer and pushed.

The damaged door went. This was surprising, but what could she expect? The armor was giving her additional power, more power, than any human before she had. She decided she will think of how dangerous it was… later. Not now.

Inside devices with long tendrils, not clawed, like the ones they had seen before, but swift and sharply ending, held Frenzy suspended in the middle. The small mechs armor seams were pierced by the invading things: on his limbs, on his back and chest, on his head even. Miko noticed that in some places the armor started to come off.

„Holy fucking shit,” she gritted.

Whoever was responsible – she wanted to kill him now.

Frenzy used to be the enemy of her species and he wanted to throw her out the airlock, but he didn’t deserve this torture.

„I’m having a horrible day and on top of that, I’m forced to save yet another Decepticon,” she muttered. „Thank you, assholes. I’ll get to you. Hold on, Frenzy. I’m here.”

If the tendrils had at least a little intelligence, consciousness, and will, they didn’t notice her, concentrated on the victim.

Miko approached first of the boxes – machines? They have this weird, geometric and very, very unintuitive shapes.

„Let’s do it,” she said.

She had no idea other than to shoot the machine. So that was exactly what she did.

Something let put a low, long mechanical howling – and this time this was not Frenzy screaming, but something else, as if Miko damaged some complex system. After the howl, she heard a voice coming from some hidden source. The voice was squeaky, didn’t sound mechanical and spoke in the language she couldn’t understand, but there was a system in this sound, this was a language, this was words.

„I can’t understand you, fucker!” she shouted and shot the next „box”.

It exploded and the tendrils retracted, some of them leaving Frenzy’s armor, some pulling the little mech down.

The howling started again, and then again sounded the voice, like a recording, not a living being speaking, but Miko couldn’t be sure.

She shot the third box.

Frenzy felt hard on the ground, with the loud sound of metal clanging against metal.

Miko saw one of the walls that she believed to be solid, opening.

„Surprise, surprise” she muttered, as the familiar drones floated to the chamber. „Hello, fuckers. I missed you. Guess what: I found some sweet loot and got power up.”

She shot, straight into the center of the first approaching drone.

It faltered, spun around, then fell on the ground. On its surface, something flickered, before it went out.

Miko decided to look closer later. Now she concentrated on the next one. She was not sure for how long would she last. She hoped Frenzy could actually get up and help her.

„Don’t let an organic best you, ‘Con!” she shouted.

She heard his quiet, pained laughter, but laughter nevertheless.

„Nobody would believe that anyway,” Frenzy said. Miko heard the movements of his inner machinery, as he got up. „Where did you get this armor from?”

„Finders keepers. It’s mine now.”

„Until it runs out of power.”

„At least it won’t drain my life force then!” she answered and aimed at another drone.

This shot was not as successful as two previous ones. The drone backed a little but didn’t fell. It just lost a tentacle.

„Can you help?”

„I lost my gun! I cannot transform my arms. My armor is out of place. Fraggit!”

An alien voice sounded again and the drones were getting closer. Fraggit indeed.

„Hey, anyone can hear me?” Miko asked over the comms. „Help would be appreciated. I’m still just a squishy human!”

One of the drones approached, wrapped its tentacles on Miko's arm, pulled. Miko didn’t feel it in any way, but even if she was stronger, Frenzy was wounded.

„Fuck you!” she shouted at the drone, punching it with her free hand.

The orb cracked and broke. The drone fell, leaving Miko’s arm free.

„Just throw your Decepticon pride away and stay behind me.”

Frenzy laughed.

„You’re kidding me? Only Starscream has less pride than me. I want to survive this.”

„Hey, anybody there?” Miko heard over the comms.

She recognized Shatter.

„Yes! We are here! We could use some help with these fuckers! Frenzy is damaged!”

„Just hold on, I’m coming,” Shatter answered.

Miko backed towards the wall, Frenzy behind him. When she had the armor on, the cassette was a little smaller than her and that was awkward but useful. She could cover him – she had no idea, for how long, but she intended to try.

Suddenly, Shatter came into the chamber, jumping form some higher level with scraps of bent metal falling on the floor. She was a little more scratched than before, but in far better shape than Frenzy. Her arms opened to reveal guns.

„Nice job, human!” she shouted and opened fire at the drones.

There were less of them than on the bridge. Significantly.

The voice in the unseen speakers was repeating the same phrase over and over again.

„You know where the others are?” Miko asked hopefully, as the last of the drones lie on the ground, destroyed, many of them at her hands, in fact. She felt sweaty under the armor and suit, and it all felt a little heavier. There were some charts on the inside of the helmet and if what she just saw was a power level, then the armor really used about a half of its stored reserves. Which was probably still low, but…

„No idea,” Shatter said. „Nice armor.”

„Mine.”

„Maybe. If you explain it to your general, then probably you will be able to keep it,” Shatter agreed. „Well, now you are more useful than before, so good for us. You OK, Frenzy?”

„Been better,” he said while trying to set loosened armor plates in place. “Something happened on _Echo_.”

„Something?”

„I don’t know… Rumble… Rumble is damaged. I felt him. He felt me. He is stable now, but… Soundwave would not survive this if any of us died.”

„We will get out of here, I promise.”

„We all have someone we want to return to,” Miko said.

She thought of Sari – not the weird cybernetic Sari from the vision, but her Sari, real Sari somewhere on Earth, Sari who should be with her now.

Later. They will see each other again later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First: Oh my PRIMUS! Thank you, thank you so very much! I cried out of joy after reading what you wrote me. You have no idea, how good I felt. To be honest, I've never expected such a reaction. This means so very much to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you, you all are amazing! I'll answer those comments individually, only I had no time over the weekend (It was convention time for me!).
> 
> Second: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21031934 here is, if anyone is interested a short story written for Inktober prompt. It shows Parvati's point of view, just a little thing, before a longer ME:A story will be written. I just suck for crossover elements and cameos like this.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Isolated – Fear and distraction – I know what is messing with us – Ancient evils, part 3 – Thser-Nah’s fate – More dead creatures - The aliens have their issues, part 3 – Reunited – Soundwave breaks through – The Watcher, part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Better safe than sorry: in this chapter, there is a gory scene including an alien and implied vivisection.
> 
> No beta for now :( I will update the chapter as soon as I get the corrected version.

The door shut rapidly before Optimus had even time to react and drag them both back. They both fell and now were laying on top of each other, which was terribly uncomfortable – in more than one sense, because Optimus’ battle protocols were onlining, stimulated by not only Megatron’s presence, but also by the damage in one shoulder and by the overall situation.

He shut them down, got up, reach out his hand towards two glowing red points in the darkness.

There was still fear in Megatron’s field. Optimus had never seen him like this and it was something new… and terrifying on itself. If there was something here that scared Megatron this way, Optimus himself should be seriously afraid. Anything, that scared Megatron so much must have been beyond his possibility to deal with. Which was a terrible sign.

“You all right?” Optimus asked.

His hand was rejected, which he could have expected, but at least the other mech wasn’t pointing any weapon at him, wasn’t trying to back off again.

And, there was no answer.

Because, of course, Megatron wouldn’t say that he was not all right, not to him at least.

“What is happening?” Optimus asked.

The situation escaped any pattern, any algorithm he could have in his subsystems. The procedures created for “dealing with distressed ally” and “dealing with Megatron” didn’t match.

“It is messing with us, that’s what is happening.” he heard at last.

This was better than silence. In Megatron’s field, anger flared next to fear.

Anger was something familiar.

“I noticed” Optimus agreed.

His former nemesis got up slowly and a little more clumsily than Optimus expected. He went towards the place where the doorway was a moment ago, pushed against it.

“Nothing,” he said.

There was indeed nothing: no seams indicating the door’s presence, no panel that could be used for opening it. There was no sound coming from the other side.

Megatron pushed harder, his engines growling, but this didn’t help. He let out an angry growl, then he turned to look at Optimus again.

“How’s your shoulder?” he asked.

There was a chunk of armor missing, a minor fuel line pierced – nothing serious, although little drops of energon were now drizzling down Optimus’ arm.

“Nothing serious.”

“I could look to this if you trusted me.”

Optimus froze at this offer. Again: nothing he expected.

He remembered vaguely that Megatron got some kind of medical training in the parallel universe: this was mentioned during the trial, although it never was an important point. So the offer was reasonable. But Optimus felt it would be impossible for him to accept it, at least at this moment. The sole thought of letting Megatron putting hands in his wiring was revolting.

“Not at the moment,” he said slowly. “Thank you, but I will be all right.”

“It is messing with us, you know,” Megatron said again. “I expect you to be aware that it is possibly twisting your fears right now. As it is mine.”

“Yes, I am aware. I don’t want any of us to do anything harsh. Getting the others out should be our priority. That is why I won’t allow you working on me, although I appreciate the offer. I expect it was difficult for you to make it.”

“You have no idea.” Megatron’s voice was a little mocking now, although his field was still full of fear and anger. “and I agree, we should get the others out, at all cost. That’s why I need you to know, while I’m still in control of myself: there might be a possibility you will have to kill me. Don’t hesitate then. Remember who I was and what I’ve done.”

“I expect this won’t be necessary. Come on. We need to find a way out.”

Megatron remained silent.

The room was small, unlike the big chambers, they visited previously. Blank, dark walls, dark metal, that seemed to absorb light to a degree, because their lights didn’t give as much light as they should. Nothing to push, nothing to pull, no seams.

Irony: being trapped with each other, by something that possibly wanted them to act on old sentiments, by something, that had played on aggression and fear before to get them in this situation.

Optimus just hoped the others resisted the influence and would be able to succeed even if they will die there, possibly at each other’s hands.

“You have told that you worked with singularity weapon once?” Optimus asked.

There was this rumor, that Megatron had a portal hidden inside his frame, connecting him to the black hole.

“I did. I succeeded, if you want to know, which gives me some expertise, although not as much, as I would like to have.” Megatron smirked. “At least I didn’t use it against you.”

“This is not the point...” Optimus started.

He was glad actually that Megatron remained himself and that he did his best to suppress the fear.

“...but that was, of course, the original intention. Well, I used it against the DJD in the end. I’m afraid I used everything I had then and removed the portal. And if anything remained, the Galactic Council took care of it. So I’m, unfortunately, clean now. But yes, I debated several possible uses of dark matter, antimatter, and singularities with Shockwave in the past.”

“Good.”

Megatron laughed.

“You had never expected to say this.”

“No, of course, I didn’t. But since we are here now your past plans could be helpful.”

“My past plans to kill you, you mean.”

“Yes. Your past plans to kill me, since you want to hear this so much. I hope, there are no current plans to kill me.”

“You are irritated.”

Of course, Optimus was.

“And you are amused by it.”

“Are you going to stop me?”

“No. I’m not.”

“Good. Now… Let’s think how to get out of here before I’ll do something we both would regret...”

He proceeded to go around the chamber, pressing and knocking at the walls carefully.

“I believe I have it,” he said in the end, triumph in his voice.

When pressed, the wall clicked almost soundlessly and then separated, slowly and without the sound. They were back in the corridor that had looked familiar, but none of them had any idea if it was the same corridor or any other one. There were no signs of the others.

***

The corridor was silent, it’s walls and floor made of something, that muted the sounds, even the usual clangs of mechanical feet seemed to be more silent than they should. Both the silence and the smoothness of the walls that lacked any indications of seams was eerie, unsettling.

Optimus remembered the last time he entered the insides of something so alien. Deja-vu hit him. This was both like and unlike descending inside Unicron’s enormous body. It looked different, but invoked the same sense of being at the wrong place, at the wrong time, somewhere no mech, no lifeform, should enter.

He felt his internal mechanisms tensing and losing the rhythm of their function, his Spark clutching. This was not the blessed memory of being at peace he felt when he was dying: this was the memory of everything that happened before, the swallowing horror of annihilation of all life in the universe, of being too small, too young, not important. Whatever he would do, was in vain. Whatever he tried, would result in failure. He died once and for what? He might have destroyed Unicron, but then he found this, this unknown object, constructing itself from the parts of absorbed spaceships. How many times did he have to do this, sacrificing himself, returning, only to discover, he is still needed, never finding peace, trapped in the never-ending vicious circle of violence, sacrifice, and failure?

He stopped.

The thoughts chased one another in his processor, spiraling down and down. His fears and the feeling of emptiness, amplified now, growing, swallowing.

He let his frame vent slowly, trying to cool down the system that started to spin up. This was almost a panic attack – and Optimus didn’t remember experiencing something like this his entire life. There were fears and doubts, yes, but never something like this.

And that meant something tried to mess with his processor.

Slowly, he looked at Megatron.

Another wave of fear swept through his processor and Spark. There was his mortal enemy standing right beside him, frame damaged, but red eyes glowing in the darkness. Even broken and without his fusion cannon, Megatron was still deadly. Oh, he might have had this change of spark, this redemption, that made the Lost Light crew to trust him, mecha from an alternate universe – including Orion – to follow him, but the trial, the imprisonment – it could change everything. Megatron had been mad before, Optimus saw him tripping over the edge too many times. He was a monster, the most dangerous mech ever forged. His enemy for millennia. Those were not things that changed lightly.

One step too far – and they will be locked in the deadly dance yet again, forgetting about everything else.

Because that how it always was. That was their entire life: the endless strife.

Megatron’s eyes locked on him and it took Optimus a moment to realize, that they didn’t look with bloodlust, but with concern.

“What happened?”

“I feel it. The thing that is messing with us.”

Megatron let out a long, displeased growl.

“Good to know I’m not the only one then.” He said. “Or maybe not. I’d prefer you were there to do the right thing if needed.”

“We are not going to do this” Optimus protested, against all the coding lines that suggested otherwise. “I’m not killing you.”

“Then restrain me” Megatron snickered. “I’ve never thought I will say something like this. Not in such circumstances, at least.”

There it was again, the flicker in his eyes, the little twitch in his mouth, that Optimus would probably understand in his favor if he saw it on other mecha.

“Primus, they are flirting” Shatter had said before.

Were they? Megatron was trying to provoke Optimus, for sure. Optimus wouldn’t call this flirting. It was too familiar, too similar to countless taunts in the past.

But, this would occupy their processors, keep thoughts away from the thing trying to mess with him.

“Are there circumstances in which you would like to be restrained, then?” Optimus asked.

Megatron looked at him surprised and perplexed. He did not expect such an answer.

He did, however, recover quickly.

“You really want to know?” he asked, the little smile returning to his face.

“I didn’t suspect you have such needs.”

“I didn’t suspect you wanted to explore them… But on the other hand, I remember you quite pleased as you had me in variable voltage harness… I should have expected you had ulterior motives then”

“This is not…”

“Oh, please, you shouldn’t pick the topic up. You know me.”

“I wanted to distract you”

“Oh, but you are distracting me”

This flicker, again, this tone in the voice, every word pronounced slowly. Had anyone else spoke to him like this, in different circumstances – Optimus would consider falling for it.

This thought made him shiver.

Shatter’s words echoed in his head.

„I don’t think this is the kind of distraction I really need right now.”

„And later?”

Primus, what was wrong with him, with them both?

„Later, maybe.”

Megatron grinned. He really did.

Then he let out a sound, a long, unpleasant sound, static out of his vocalizer, screeching of his machinery. He fell on his knees, one hand scratching the floor, the second one pressed to the helm of his head, pressed so hard, that the fingers started to dent the hard metal there.

It was out of a sudden, one moment the grin, the other – this.

As Optimus stepped towards the fallen mech, Megatron turned his head and looked at him, eyes narrowed dangerously, faceplates wry with anger or pain or both.

It was a familiar pattern and Optimus didn’t hesitate – he just pointed the gun at the enemy, waiting for any reaction, ready to fire. Something was telling him this situation was not exactly right, but he was there already, wasn’t he? Just a click and he will have the fusion cannon pointed at his face, ready to fire, and then they will be aiming at each other, waiting. Who will do it first? Maybe both of them at the same time?

Wait. There was no fusion canon – Megatron’s arm was empty. His hand was clawing at the floor, there were weird streaks of blue on the silver armor, and damaged, but visible red Autobot crest.

„So here we are again” he heard. „Go on. Just go on. If they tell you to kill me – do it. This is better than going mad.”

This wasn’t right.

Optimus didn’t lower his gun, but he stepped back. Megatron didn’t move. He was gritting his dentae, clawing at his head again.

„Three shots. Go on. End it. Don’t let them have me.”

This was not a taunt – Optimus realized. This was a plea and Megatron was in pain.

Still, pulling the trigger would end this pain, wouldn’t it? Three shots, as Megatron said. Just doing the right thing Optimus didn’t manage to do for so many millennia, that he didn’t manage to do when he could allow Miko to perform the assassination.

„Don’t let who have you?” he asked.

This was not right. This was again something on the outside, influencing them. And it was so easy to play on the old fight…

„I… don’t know… the monsters… they had me once already, they almost…” Megatron’s voice pattern’s broke, dissolved into static, as he tried to formulate words. „Made me… what I was… I am… Helped it… they are here… Don’t let them… I don’t want to go back to this… I’d rather die”

Optimus still didn’t lower his gun, but this, this was scary. His old enemy begging him for death: he had seen many things, but not this. Had he ever seen Megatron scared?

Once. On the footage from the trial. But this was another case.

„No one is having you,” he said, stepping forwards. „I will not allow that. And you will not allow that too. You are too strong to submit. You always were too strong. Get up. Whoever is trying to mess with us – they will not survive this.”

The red eyes widened.

„They try to mess with you too, don’t they?” Megatron asked, a little calmer, but his faceplates were still distorted as if he was in pain. He stopped clawing at his own helm – where he scraped and dented the metal, the camouflage nanites fell off, leaving the clean silver surface. The other hand still was clutched on the floor, when it left long marks.

„I believe they do,” Optimus admitted. „This is not that hard to convince me, that I should kill you. Up?” He extended his hand, but Megatron didn’t take it, getting up on his own, slowly.

„You need to be ready to do this anyway.”

„I’m always ready.”

Megatron snickered. There it was again – the mocking smile – but it indicated everything was fine, for now at least.

„If you were ready, you would have done it millennia ago. But you could believe whatever you want.”

„In this case, maybe you weren’t as eager to kill me yourself.”

„Maybe. My life would probably be just boring… but, listen, this is serious. I know this presence in my head. It was there already. You did banish it then, remember? You used the Matrix to get it out from me.”

This was so many years ago, but yes, Optimus remembered that. The presence inside Megatron, filled with a hatred so strong, he never had felt before or after.

„I’ve never learned what it really was.”

„A demon. A power that is older than the memory of our species and hates everything and everyone, and especially us. This is what I know. That one, then, it wanted to use me to destroy our kind. It… it almost succeeded, even after it was banished.”

Optimus thought of the mosaic he saw not so long ago, on the wall in the Citrix station. Miko asked the guide, what kind of creature it depicted and all the guide could say, was that it was supposed to be an ancient, evil race, that was probably only a legend. But Optimus saw depictions of those creatures in other places, as dark and dangerous, like the one they were in now – and he remembered the glimpse of hateful presence when had dealt with the being that possessed Megatron.

„You are sure that’s the same? Not something else messing with you, using your fears?”

„I would never mistake it for anything else.”

Optimus nodded.

“It was you it influenced after all” he agreed.

***

The corridor opened into a larger chamber. It was lit, contrary to many others they visited. Most of the light was concentrating on a large table in the middle and machinery over it. The slender mechanical arms were moving over the table and over the being lying on it, cutting and taking out the pieces, putting them into the jars. Some of the arms ended with precise medical blades and drills – those were stained with purple liquid. The liquid was organic and the creature lying on the table was organic as well, small, slender as they were still alive, the protective suit cut away, limbs restrained.

There was no need for restraining anymore. The being didn’t move and their eyes were wide open and empty – one eye, actually, since one of mechanical arms was carefully removing the other from the socket, while the other arm proceeded to cut into the skull.

This was Thser-Nah on the table and Optimus felt anger and grief overflowing him.

He promised the crew of Steadfast Progress that he will save them and lead them out of the anomaly. Now another one was dead – and the fate of the other two was unknown, as well as Miko’s fate. Did the same happen to them?

The mechanical arms didn’t notice intrusion, continued their work on Thser-Nah’s body.

“They lived as it started,” Megatron said, his voice calm, but anger in his field growing.

Another thing unlike him: this concern for someone’s pain.

But it was visible: Thser-Nah’s face frozen in torment, pain, fear of the last minute’s of their life.

Optimus just approached the table and grabbed on the delicate machinery, pulling it out, stopping the procedure. It didn’t help, it couldn’t, but this was the only thing he could do right now.

“You couldn’t save them” he heard and felt Megatron’s hand on his shoulder.

“There are always too many of those, I cannot help. I just hope we will come in time to save the others.”

He didn’t want to find Miko like this. He didn’t save her from the battlefield to let her die in such a horrible way.

The mechanical arms let out a sound of strained machinery, torn cables sparking and leaking hydraulic fluids. Optimus looked at Thser-Nah once again. He had no idea what did their people with their dead and had nothing to cover the mutilated body and all the separated pieces.

As he turned around, he noticed multiple niches in the chamber walls. There were filled with tanks and jars, inside, in clear fluid, bodies were submerged: all of them cut, missing pieces, that were, in turn, put in smaller jars beside. Many, many organic beings were cut in this chamber. Many of them must have been alive.

This chamber belonged to a scientifically minded being and it was not unlike many scientists to proceed like this, especially with other species. This was what pushed development in medicine, and Cybertronians did it too, very often to each other, but many of their scientists performed experiments on organic species… And not only Decepticon scientists did this.

No progress and development justified this, and this time there wasn’t even any progress, because who could profit from an autopsy performed in such a secluded place, by the automated process? If somebody watched it, they rather found a perverse pleasure in the experimentation, maybe even an object’s pain, than really tried to achieve some results.

“A collector” Megatron muttered. “Twisted mind. Come. We will have a chance to get this monster, but don’t think I’ll give you or any of organics the chance for revenge. Whoever watches us now, is mine.”

Those were dark words, the dark tone in Megatron’s voice. There was still fear in his field, but he fought, all the time, hiding it behind other emotions. Anger and a hint of bloodlust, a touch if grief, concern – for Shatter and Frenzy or for other organics too? Reassurance, that appeared at the moment as he touched Optimus’ shoulder. A hint of satisfaction at Optimus’ own anger and at the moment, when the machinery was torn out from the floor and stopped.

Suddenly, they heard a sound. It was coming from something inside a chamber now, not from an outside source. Optimus could hear it directly in his audial receptors, not on the communication frequency.

He couldn’t understand a word, and, unlike the voices whispering to them over the comms, this one sounded like it wasn’t talking to them.

But Megatron smiled and this was an unpleasant smile.

“So you decided to speak, slagger? Great. Now show us your hideous face… or faces.”

“You are not scared anymore” Optimus noted.

“Oh, I am scared, but I cannot run away from this. I know what those monsters are capable of – the more reason to find their hideout and kill them. The more reasons now. And I know I am not the main target, not this time” he frowned. “I don’t believe I was then. I was just in the right place and time, and that creature recognized me as a good target. I am afraid, but I know better now. And” he added, “I have you with me now.”

“How should I understand this?”

“However you want. Let’s go.”

Optimus thought, he was already asking too many questions and that the prolonged conversation they were having since they were alone was a thing for another time.

But, would it go like this, if they weren’t trying to fight the urges to mistrust each other, the fear and the hatred? Would it go like this, if they didn’t have the need for distraction?

***

In the middle of the next chamber stood a large tank made of transparent substance. It was filled with dark liquid and connected to the ceiling, floor, and walls by multiple tubes and cables. There was a panel in front of the tube, several lights, most of them turned off now, and a screen showing low levels of… something. The glyphs looked disturbingly similar to Cybertronian ones, but they made no sense. They might have to mean completely different things. Optimus was not sure. He also had no idea what was inside the tank. The liquid was too dark, to murky, it might even not contain anything at all.

They didn’t have time for exploration when the lives of others might have been in danger, but the urge to stop and see what they were actually dealing with could be important. So they did.

Megatron was contemplating several mechanical bodies standing under the wall. They were inactive, not even alive – probably never alive – and headless. They were slender, long-limbed and made of metal, but also of something else.

“Those are interesting...” Megatron said, looking at the place heads should be. “There is a series of ports here, for a spinal strut or something similar. They don’t have a spark chamber, but that doesn’t mean anything…”

Optimus looked from the tank and towards the bodies. They didn’t look like any mechanical lifeform he encountered. Their form reminded rather of organic beings.

“Not metal,” Megatron said, lifting one of the arms. “Ceramic, I’d say. Or some composite. Definitely not sentio metallico. No signs it can transform. I know some mecha that would love to get one in their hands.” he shook his head. “And I have this feeling that I had seen this…” he got stiff for a moment, then his body shook. He took a step back. “I want out” he declared.

Fear swirled in his field.

“Let’s go then,” Optimus said.

This was fascinating but didn’t seem to be useful.

They both turned from the bodies and towards the tank.

And they both froze.

There was something in the tank, a shape floating in the dark liquid.

Fear in Megatron’s field spiked again, suppressing other emotions.

Optimus let his former enemy stay behind here and approached the tank.

The shape was large, almost half of Optimus’ height, and, when Optimus looked for a long while, he realized it was a face.

It was big, wide, with multiple horns or finials, that made it look ornated. It was inactive, eyes dark and empty. If it had any colors, they had either faded or were obscured by the liquid.

He had seen it for a moment, before it floated deeper again, inert and dead.

“It’s dead,” Optimus said.

Megatron approached, slowly. In his field fear mixed with a burning hatred.

“This is it?” Optimus asked. “One of those beings? Like the one, I cleaned you off?”

“Yes.”

“It is dead.”

“That means I cannot kill it.”

There were not many things Megatron hated with such a fierce dedication. Optimus was surprised in fact: even at their worst, he was not an object of such hatred.

But, a being like this one possessed Megatron once, controlled him, tried to use him. It was evil down to the core of its very Spark.

“It is dead, so it cannot influence you.”

“But there can be more of them,” Megatron said, his dentae gritted, eyes burning. “And if they are then I will kill them.”

Something let out a scratchy, rattling sound in the distance. Then something – someone? - shoot in the distance, once, twice, three times. They looked at each other, both silent, understanding each other without words.

***

Several mostly empty chambers later they found the captain of Steadfast Progress. One of their arms was limp and the glass of their helmet was cracked, their eyes looked strange: like the alien captain had problems seeing, or was it just madness that crawled into their mind? But they were alive and looking at both Cybertronians and raising their gun.

There was a body under captain Zovvosk’s feet, commander Fal Trena, lying with their face to the ground, a pool of greenish blood spreading around them.

“I’d love to be happy to see you both” captain Zovvosk said. “But I don’t know what is true and what is false anymore. Trena is dead. I have no idea what happened to the others. And I never trusted you. I don’t know. I don’t want to shoot, not again, but I don’t know anymore. I don’t even know who you are. Trena said…” they shook their head and looked at the body of their dead companion. “But they attacked me. They called me a traitor. Have I betrayed my people?”.

Megatron frowned.

“That is what they do,” he said.

“Who ‘they’?” Captain Zovvosk asked.

“The ones who created this place. They are ancient and evil, Thser-Nah’s story was true.”

“Thser-Nah… We saw the drones taking them.”

“Thser-Nah is dead,” Optimus said.

Captain Zovvosk let out a pained sound.

“And we are doomed.”

“We are not, as long as we are alive. Do you know what happened to the others?”

“The human fell down into a well” captain Zovvosk said. “I have no idea what happened to Shatter and Frenzy.”

Optimus ex-vented slowly.

Miko fell. This could mean she was dead. Dying from the fall was better than the slow agony that Thser-Nah faced, but…

Miko considered him her friend.

He felt Megatron’s hand on his shoulder, again.

“Orion. We don’t know if she is dead or not. We will find her.”

“I promised to lead us out from here.”

“I know, Orion. I know.”

Again: reassurance. Attempt to comfort.

Oh, he wanted to be angry, to throw this hand away, to yell, to hit Megatron, how Megatron dared to do this, was he mocking him?

Only he did not.

And this wasn’t the time.

Captain Zovvosk still stood with their weapon risen, although they didn’t look like they were going to shoot now. It was their first officer, who had been doing such things.

“Captain. Put the weapon down. We are not your enemy and I hope, we had already proven this. I’m sorry for the loss of your people. I’m sorry I couldn’t help. We still have hope the others are alive and that we will be able to get out of here. Please, captain.”

“The beings who built this can influence our minds” Megatron added. “I had met one of them before, now I’m sure, we had found one of them, dead. I don’t know the name of their species, but they are evil and hate all the sentient life. Fighting each other would be doing what they want. Don’t give them this satisfaction, captain.”

The alien looked at their dead companion.

“I… So they were influenced… this… explains a lot. Gods. We were close once, and I killed them.”

“Then you need to find those, who did it to both of you.”

The captain nodded.

There was another sound in the distance: it sounded like a scream this time, and it was not an organic being screaming. Then there was a loud banging sound and multiple shots.

They run, captain Zovvosk not very far behind, turning out to be quite fast despite being relatively small and a fragile organic.

The corridor got larger, wider somehow and there were some beings inside it. Round drones with multiple tentacles, smaller copies of those, that held Echo, claws big enough though to grab a larger mech’s arm – or a smaller’s waist. They flooded at the entrance to a chamber, and someone was shooting inside.

Several of the drones noticed the intruders, turned towards them, but were shot down before they managed to do anything.

Inside there were three people among the deactivated drones: Shatter, covered in scratches, but seemingly all right; Frenzy, in worse condition, armor misplaced, Energon leaking from his seams; and the third one: first Optimus thought it was a mechanoid they never met before, then he realized it was Miko encased in some kind of an armor over her usual suit. Behind two layers of glass obscuring her face the human soldier gleed. She also led out a happy sound as she saw them entering the chamber.

“You’re alive!” she exclaimed while jumping – high for a being her size. “I thought I would need to save you too.”

Shatter smiled.

“Terminus. Orion. We were worried.”

Optimus frowned, seeing destroyed machinery in the middle of the chamber. Judging from what they had seen previously, it wasn’t doing anything good.

Megatron kneeled in front of Frenzy.

“Are you all right?” he asked. The cassette’s eyes got wide and bright from surprise. “Can I see how can I fix that?”

“Aaaa… all right.” Frenzy answered, but was stiff and deeply shocked, as his former leader skillfully moved the plates into their right position. He let out some pained sounds when the internal machinery clicked into its place. “When the frag did you learned that?!” he exclaimed.

“This is a long story.”

“I bet it is.” Frenzy agreed.

“How are you two?” Shatter asked. She was the only person not surprised by Megatron’s first aid skills, which explained a lot. “I’m relieved. This place is designed to kill intruders in most awful ways possible.”

“We know. Thser-Nah and commander Fal are dead. We are mostly all right, thank Primus.”

Miko sighted.

“Well, the more reasons we have to destroy this place” she stated.

“First we need to find our way out.” Optimus reminded.

Something could be heard in the speakers hidden in the walls. Megatron rose his head, awaiting, Shatter spat out a curse. They were expecting a voice speaking in the unknown language, voice of the creature that dwelled inside the structure.

It was not it who has spoken. This voice was familiar and the language was understandable.

“To all who can hear, this is Soundwave speaking. Terminus, Orion, Shatter, Frenzy: can you hear me?”

“Frag yeah!” Frenzy exclaimed. “Loud and clear, boss!”

“We are all here, Soundwave,” Megatron said.

“Frequency used: intercepted. Time remaining: unknown. Purpose: gather data, lead you to the center.”

“Good,” Optimus said. “Lead the way.”

“We cannot be sure...” captain Zovvosk protested and they was justified in his doubt. Optimus didn’t expect the being from the structure to be able to imitate Soundwave’s voice, but they could never be sure.

“We were expected the doubt” another voice spoke. One of the aliens, the scientist. “Captain, this is Veiora. Remember, how you recruited me?” they snickered. “My career was over. You gave me the chance. You gave the chance most of us. You had told me, that I will have my chance to find something exceptional even on those boring patrols – and I told you - you were right when we were entering Kaschig’s Field.”

The alien captain nodded.

“That is enough for me. Do you have something for your friends, Soundwave?”

For a moment there was silence, a little crackling noise, something trying to break through.

“Orion,” Soundwave said at last, slowly. Optimus thought, it was Megatron who should receive the message: but this would be endangering the cover and Soundwave tried to keep it to the end. “Despite everything, I respect you and I am honored we ended as allies. From the moment we met again I knew you will not fail me.”

This was deeply personal in a way Optimus never expected from Soundwave. But it was also not what the hateful presence would tell him. It would try to play on his fears, on his hatred, and not on trust and on this weird understanding he and Soundwave happen to share in the end.

He noticed Megatron’s eyes getting large, his expression surprised.

“Thank you, Soundwave,” Optimus said. “Your respect is mutual.”

The speakers cracked, Soundwave’s voice went silent and the other one, the voice of the denizen of this place, spat several ununderstandable words. Then there was silence for a moment before Soundwave returned to the frequency.

“Plans: acquired,” he informed. “The Watcher: is fighting. Follow my lead.”

The labyrinth of corridors, chambers, and levels looked different when they were led by Soundwave’s voice.

There were several chambers with niches and tanks, some of them filled with empty bodies, both mechanical and organic, none of the creatures ever alive, some containing remains of other unfortunate creatures. The only active things they encountered were the drones: which was a little weird since activation of mass-produced soldiers would be a better solution for the Watcher to defend themselves.

But, maybe the Watcher didn’t have so many resources. Maybe this whole structure was more fragile than they expected.

But the Watcher tried to defend themselves. Optimus heard their voice: in the corridors and in his head. Feeding on hated, they tried to fan the hatred in return.

There was a large door at the end of the run, massive, reinforced. It didn’t open as easily as the ones that were used to get into the structure. It needed several hits: from the weapon and using direct force before the metal dented and gave up.

The Watcher waited for them inside: it looked straight at them, eyes burning, the large ornated face floating in the tank. It was here and it was alive, grotesque and smiling with mouth wide open, teeth too long and sharp to be functional. This was a mask, Optimus realized, a mask covering whatever was underneath, the creature’s true form. A mask created to invoke certain emotions.

But it didn’t matter, how it really looked. What matter was it’s immense field, filled with overwhelming hatred and mixture of other emotion’s: curiosity, amusement, cruelty, feeling of superiority. For this creature, they were all small and insignificant.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The situation from the past Megatron mentions is from "Autocracy", and "Autocracy" trashed me.
> 
> I feel really good currently, but I always am feedback-starved, so if anyone has something to say, feel free, I will appreciate it!


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ancient evils, part 4 – The Watcher, part 2 – Just shoot it! - Organic brains are messy – The Watcher’s end – Quantum anomalies part 3

“How big are the chances that we will be destroyed?” Veiora asked. “If we intercept the frequency and they notice us, they will hit us as they did with Steadfast Progress.”

“Estimated chance of being destroyed: 80%, considering current data.”

“Well,” the scientist banged their fingers on the console. “Eighty percent is less than I expected.”

“Soundwave: proceeds with caution.”

“Of course you do.” they agreed. “Ready?”

Again he was plugged into Echo’s systems, allowing them to amplify the signal. The plan was to adjust the ships communication systems to the frequency.

There was one thing that was deeply disturbing: the fact the line existed there, somewhere in Soundwave’s systems, ready to use, but overlooked in normal circumstances. Like somebody planted it in him.

He recalled the words of possessed alien: we created you.

This was an unsettling thing.

Soundwave was never a religious mech, most of the Decepticons didn’t care much for all the Primus bullshit, had seen it as a myth rather, a useful device to control Cybertron’s society. But neither he believed the claims his race was created by some other sentient creatures. This was organic thinking: organic life evolved, while mechanical was built. Arrogant, foolish, taking away the agency from mechanoids, degrading them to the positions of glorified machines. This kind of thinking was very popular among the Council species, humans weren’t free of it too. No, Cybertronians thought of themselves as autonomous beings, either created by Primus, or evolved, yes, but not made, and definitely not made by some organics.

Yet the presence of the overlooked line would suggest…

It made no sense. It would make it for cold constructed mecha, but Soundwave was forged.

But, the unknown being controlled the technoorganic – it didn’t even try to control Soundwave, Rumble, Buzzsaw or Flatline. So even if the hidden line existed and was implanted by someone, controlling a Cybertronian was much, much harder.

And that meant whoever was out there was much weaker than they posed to be.

Soundwave plugged in, sending an experimental impulse on the line. Nothing complex or indicating it was done on purpose: simple emotional impulse, fake and controlled. An indication he is afraid and ready to give up.

The first message he received was an emotional as well: the being on the other side was pleased. It seeded fear in the opponent’s mind and it was successful. Now, all that remained was to wait for the results.

Soundwave disconnected, muted the line, feeding it with false emotions. The real emotion he felt was anger. This creature looked inside his processor and saw things that were private. It saw his feelings.

He was the telepath. He was the one reading into emotions of the others.

He let out a displeased sound. Veiora jumped, surprised.

“Are you all right?” they asked.

“Soundwave: distressed” he admitted. “The communication channel under control though. Chances for being hit by the singularity weapon: 80%.”

“Good. What now?”

“The intercepted frequency: used as a distraction for the opponent. Current objective: search for other frequencies we can use.”

The scientist smiled.

“Let’s get to the fucker.”

Veiora was monitoring the situation, while, sometime later, after analyzing possibilities, Soundwave decided to enter the network again.

The frequency led him where he expected it to, but much quicker and easier, than he would like it, his outlier abilities amplifying it and letting him to pass the firewalls and to understand what he was looking at: the Watcher’s mind.

The Watcher was ancient. It had been there for the millennia, secluded in the darkness, waiting. There were more of his race here, once, but they were gone. Where? The Watcher’s mind didn’t concentrate on this, but Soundwave got some glimpses: the experiments, the attempt to move to other places, other times, other universes. Did the Watcher’s race survive? The Watcher didn’t know.

There were more of them once in this station, there were more stations hidden deeper inside protective dark matter net: but in this station, only one of them was left and it had no idea what happened to its brethren.

It was alone, but it didn’t need company. It hated. It hated its own race and other species, both mechanical and organic. They were primitive machines, created by Watcher’s race to perform simple tasks – or at least the Watcher believed this. Those primitive creatures evolved and gained consciousness, but they were never truly sentient, not like Watcher’s race. They were tools and toys.

When they came to the station, caught in the net, they provided the Watcher some fun. It was a pleasant distraction to mess with their minds, to make them hate each other and kill each other. Some of them, those, who survived or those interesting enough, were caught by the drones, strapped to several devices and dissected. It was fun watching, how their bodies and minds function under stress.

In ancient times Watcher’s brethren would use those experiments to gain knowledge: to further perfect their race, to built new mechanical and organic slaves. But now there was no society, no race to perfect.

Maybe, maybe there were somewhere, in another galaxy, in another universe. The watcher could go somewhere too, it had the device that allowed it to open portals to multiple dimensions… but its brethren left it here, so it stayed here, in the deep darkness, waiting for nothing.

There were two ships coming. Multiple creatures, multiple objects. Some more interesting than the other. One of them, in fact, had already met a member of Watcher’s race, he remembered this meeting. The Watcher had no idea, what purpose had said a member of its race while working on that mechanoid’s twisted, dark mind, but the outcomes must have been entertaining, considering the fear the mechanoid felt once he understood what he was dealing with. Oh, and there were some beings who considered said mechanoid a dangerous creature. And there was those messed up relations between the organic creatures. And two of the organic creatures were members of the species the Watcher had never seen before: its brethren must have left the seeds on their planets, but they had never seen the life develop intelligence appearing. One of the creatures was dead already, dissected, dismembered, their body shut down before the Watcher managed to see deeper into their mind, this was a pity indeed. The other creature, a human, as the race called itself, posed more danger since she had found an old, forgotten weapon. The Watcher knew it should have to retrieve it. Now it was too late. The human had it already and she managed to kill some drones.

Glimpsing into the Watcher’s mind was like drowning.

It was tempting, to search for the answers there, but Soundwave knew the danger already. He was lucky the being didn’t find out yet and reach out for him. He didn’t want to try his luck, and the glimpse he already got was terrifying. This could be an epic duel of two telepathic entities, but Soundwave wasn’t up for this. He didn’t want a showdown: he wanted results.

And the Watcher’s presence was overwhelming and scary – and it was too easy for Soundwave to dive into it. This was a moment when telepathy was more of a threat than something useful.

He backed off. He felt his body heated slightly over the normal states, venting heavily. His eyes blinked at Veiora, who was sitting there with their notepad.

“Your readings are fascinating” they stated. “I wish I could fully understand it. Have you found anything?”

“The Watcher: just one being. Dangerous and hateful, but alone.”

The alien scientist’s eyes got brighter.

“You talked to it?”

“Negative. Just a glimpse of its mind. Soundwave: will not return to this. We search for another route.”

“This had been speaking to you all this time,” Veiora said, amazed. “All right, we know now the frequency it uses… personally, so to say. Can we see what we find of similar ones?”

That was what they did. One by one, checking the frequencies similar to the one the Watcher used to get to Soundwave. Some of them were empty, unused, but there were things on the other. Some of them connected to things outside the station: those Soundwave left untouched, too high a chance they would reach to other parts of this weird net. Then, there were those that led inside.

The Watcher hadn’t been using all of them. They existed and some of them were populated by automated processes, easy to take over once you get to crack the code. The others were the internal communication channels: right now they were used to send the pre-written communicates, that was probably designed to inform the staff of what is happening. There was no staff though. The communicates repeated and were using a language reminding of some very old phrases from ancient Cybertronian. This was unsettling but also meant Soundwave would be able to decipher it relatively easily.

The station had its internal network and Soundwave aimed to hack it.

***

Miko stared.

What else could she do, standing face to face with the creature that controlled this labyrinth? It looked at them, it looked at her, its eyes glowing pale yellow, face as grotesque as the one pictured on the mosaic.

It was not just a picture on the wall. It was a goddamn foreshadowing.

She asked for ancient evil and she got one. She shouldn’t complain.

The ancient evil had this… aura. Cybertronians had something called “EM fields”, they could read each other’s most surface emotions in it, Soundwave reputably could use it even to read minds – but the EM fields were unreadable for organic beings unless they had specialized equipment.

If the aura of the creature in the tank was to be compared to the EM field, then Miko was able to feel it – and to be influenced by it.

What she felt was fear: the creature used the aura to invoke it. Miko remembered, how Megatron looked when he started to freak out. Now she might have look similar, only maybe without the red glow in her eyes. But she backed off several steps until her armor clanged against someone’s leg.

She didn’t even want to see, whom she had hit. This was the source of fear too: that she will remember all the paranoid thoughts and attack her allies.

Allies. They were allies. Were they friends? Optimus was a friend. And she liked Shatter and Frenzy. Megatron turned out to be really, really weird. And the aliens from Steadfast Progress? Thser-Nah was dead and the being in the tank was the one to blame.

Miko let out an angry sound, pointed her gun at the tank, her mind already filled with satisfying images of broken glass, leaking liquid, the creature unable to move anymore.

The creature laughed. Miko heard this directly on the commline in her suit and in the outside speakers.

“You are brave and resourceful” Miko heard. The voice she had heard before, whispering, now louder and speaking a language the protocols in her suit was able to translate. The words were not compliments though: they were a mockery. “I never expected anyone coming that far. This is a pleasant surprise. A distraction after all those millennia waiting.”

“You have been waiting for your death.” Miko heard Megatron saying. The anger and hatred in his voice were more like everything she knew than what she had seen by now.

The Watcher laughed again.

“You met one of us once, as I see. They made a lasting impression. Good. But you misunderstood their intentions, as I see, you twisted an act of goodwill directed towards you and your species. We had never wanted anything for our creation but thrive. And from what I’ve heard in my hermitage, you did thrive, you had made us proud.. so why are you so ungrateful? Why do you want to destroy the one, who created you?”

“You didn’t create me,” Megatron said.

“Don’t. Don’t talk to it.” Optimus warned him.

The Watcher laughed.

“You are afraid as well. You are afraid for your friend here… is a friend a good word, so much conflicted feelings, so much conflicted desires in you...”

“Oh, just shut up!” Shatter exclaimed, her arm transforming to reveal a weapon. She pointed it towards the tank. “Any reason for me not to destroy this pathetic thing? I bet it will be helpless without the glass and all the rest.”

“The ship you came here with,” the Watcher said “Your friends there, if you call anyone a friend… But some of you have complex bonds, some of you have a sense of loyalty” the grotesque face smiled wickedly. “Even the worst of you still believe in it… And since you believe, you are vulnerable. The ship you have, I had spared it, unlike the other one, but at any moment I can destroy it. Try to kill me: you will do it, but your friends will die and you will be stuck here, no way out. You will not survive for long...” the Watcher cackled. “Oh, I wish I could see it. I wish I could see you blaming each other and killing each other. Whatever you do, I win. Whatever you do, I am the one who has the last word. So, please, shoot me and condemn all of you.”

“Frag you” Shatter spat. “What are we doing?” she looked at Megatron.

“You could always let us out,” Miko said.

The creature looked at her and Miko shivered when she this hateful eyes on her.

“Why would I?”

“To survive. If we are alive, we kill you in the end.”

“You will kill each other first. The longer you are here, the more of your secrets I will get. Deep dark secrets, delicious monstrosities you are hiding from the words, from yourself. You have no idea, sweet thing, how much I want to get into this mind of yours… how does it work? How does your species work? I will take you apart, layer by layer.”

Miko gritted her teeth. Fuck it. Fuck all ancient evils on her way. She was ready to kill one, but he turned out to be something else. Well, there was this one here, and Miko was not going to let il live.

“Well, fucker, bring it on” she stated.

“Human...” she heard Megatron. He was… worried?

Oh, whatever this thing was able to do with a mind of four million years old Cybertronian warlord, it was not able to touch a twenty-two years old human woman. Because fuck it, Miko had secrets, but what were they, small and insignificant. And if the Watcher was going to reveal everything they hid anyway… well, captain Zovvosk will learn the truth. If it happens, she will deal with the alien.

The Watcher cackled again. Miko frowned.

The truth was, the only thing she needed was to give the others some time.

It looked at her, straight into her. She felt shivers coming down her spine, cold despite the protective layers of the suit and armor. She felt something itching inside her skull.

Come on, fucker. Are you even able to read an organic mind? Are you organic or mechanical anyway? What are you? Just a creepy face. Hey, I was watching horror movies with Sari and laughed at them. I will kick the ass of every boogeyman that comes my way.

Come on, you fucker, what do you want to see? The weird woman I met here? Whatever she was, you caused it. Or maybe this other version of Sari? This other version of me?

You can look into me now because whatever I have to hide is insignificant. Are you even able to read my thoughts? Because I don’t think so. I’m flesh, you fucker. I’m 100% proteins and DNA. You would have dissected me, but you are not able to do it. My mind is neurons. My mind is chaos.

She smiled, staring into the pale green eyes.

“So, what do you see?”

“Arrogant little thing. Your kind is the youngest of all, and you believe you are destined to inherit the Galaxy?” the Watcher laughed. “You are nothing but primitive animals that were designed as the start of your evolution. You were toys in hands of civilizations far more advanced than your own would ever be. Everything you have, you have stolen from the thieves. And you, little thing, you believe you could do something? You are smaller than the other foolish things, younger, inexperienced. You had one task that you failed. You glimpsed into other universes, and for what was it? What did you learned, outside the fact how small you are? You wear the stollen armor, and believe that you could fight me, fight my brethren? You will make a nice specimen, taken apart and placed into a jar, indeed, a good craftmanship, the evolution if your kind, but nothing more. You think you can fight me, little thing? Why is that?

“Because I’m not afraid of you.”

“The more foolish of you” the Watcher snickered, his pale green eyes narrowing. “Even the most dangerous creatures your Galaxy had seen are afraid. I can seed fear in their hearts: you are too stupid to be afraid. What is fear but an expression of the will to survive?”

“I’m not afraid, because I have nothing to hide from myself” she stated.

She was lying, a little. She was afraid: that what she expected to achieve won’t work.

“You have something you hide from the others.”

“Maybe, but you will never get to it.”

“And why, little foolish thing?”

She heard a voice straight in her commline: the Watcher was not able to hear it, but she was, and so were her companions, but it was she who distracted the creature.

“The singularity weapon: cut off from the Watcher’s systems. Chances for the attack against Echo: at 21% and falling.”

Miko smiled.

She was done waiting and she knew she was not the only one impatient here. Everyone deserved to have their chance, everyone had been Watcher’s target. Some of them maybe even more than her.

“I promised to kick your ass” she stated. “You don’t have one, but I’m going to kick it anyway.”

She pulled the trigger. The missile hit the glass, the surface cracking. She saw a fissure appearing. Not enough, but this was just a start. She saw Watcher’s eyes getting wider and wider, the enormous face backing off deeper into the tank.

Did it have any way to get out, or was this tank just one place where it stayed and let its life? Because if so, then, sorry to said that, this creature had a huge problem now, no way to run.

“I am more powerful than any of you!” the Watcher exclaimed. “And you, you are dead! All of you!” You will never get out of here!”

The immense aura was filled with wrath, but there was something else there too: fear. The Watcher was afraid. It tried to threaten them, but the fact was, it had no means to do it now, that Soundwave took control of the systems.

Shatter shoot. She didn’t wait for the Watcher to say any other words. The glass cracked more. The liquid started to leak through the cracks.

“It’s all yours!” she exclaimed, and Miko saw Megatron smiling. This was the smile she had expected from him, horrible, cruel smile that announced no good, but right now Miko could live with it because the smile was not for her, it was for the Watcher.

The tank exploded into shards of glass, the fluid flooded right at Miko, large, strong wave, that would sweep her off her feet if the armor wasn’t holding her in place, heavy and terribly stable.

She saw now: a conical shape with the mask attached, more of similar masks, more faces on the other sides. Some of them inactive, like they were dead. The one on the left with a crack dividing it in half. The cone itself damaged: missing panels revealing something inside, something amorphous and soft, connected with multiple tubes to the top of the tank.

This was not the menacing monster, this was a damaged creature, weak, posing as more powerful than it really was. It still smiled, or the mask smiled, the mouth set in place forever, unable of a full set of expressions, created for one only. The other masks could represent other emotions, but they were empty, and the Watcher was not able to control them.

It was not able to control anything anymore. Its outer shell was hanging there, the soft, presumably organic, mass pulsing inside before Megatron put the gun into one of the holes in the shell and activated it.

The soft mass exploded, shreds of tissue and splatters of fluid everywhere, but the creature was still alive, the aura still present filled with pain, with anger, with hatred and with something else, a hope.

Then Megatron shot again and something green and glowing inside the shell, inside the tissue, exploded with a loud bang.

It tore what had left of the Watcher’s outer layers apart. It was strong and Miko felt it, as it hit her, sending her – despite the armor, to the other side of the chamber. She hit the wall, but luckily didn’t feel it, armor and suit absorbed the shock.

She saw captain Zovvosk and Rumble falling down, Shatter trying to stay up, then falling, a large metal plate piercing the armor on her chest.

Megatron stood there though, the explosion hitting him. He fell when it ended, on his knees, like he was exhausted, dropping his gun, hands on the floor.

Miko imagined him panting hard. That was what he would do if he was human.

She had no idea what to do with this, but she didn’t have to. Optimus apparently knew.

He was there, holding his former enemy by the shoulders. If they communicated – Miko had no idea but it looked like Optimus was saying something.

“Boss,” Frenzy said, getting up. He was covered in green fluid. They all were, some of them additionally in soft, wet tissue that made Miko think of the brain. “Boss, are you there?”

“Confirmative” they had heard Soundwave’s voice.

Shatter groaned, trying to pull the metal piece out.

“Need some help?” Miko asked.

She stepped over something that looked a tentacle, a fleshy tentacle this time, ugh, she really preferred the mechanical ones.

Shatter kneeled and Miko grabbed the large metal shard. She didn’t even need lots of strength right now: the armor made it almost effortless. The shard came out, leaving a gap leaking purple liquid, but Shatter stood up without any issues. She just frowned.

“I need it patched rather quickly” she noted. “But nothing crucial looks damaged.”

“We will take care of it on Echo,” Megatron said.

He was up now, his body covered with splattered tissue and scorch marks, a layer of camouflage peeling off. Miko really hoped captain Zovvosk wouldn’t notice the last thing, but, in the end, this really wasn’t their biggest problem right now.

“Soundwave, what is the status?” Optimus asked.

“Control over the systems of the station at 42%,” Soundwave informed. “Probability of being destroyed by an automated defense system at 28%.”

“Good. We hadn’t found the control for the singularity weapon.”

“You neutralized the Watcher.”

“We should have stayed on the Echo” captain Zovvosk said. They looked tired, small and damaged. “Trena and Thser-Nah would be alive.”

“Or they wouldn’t” Shatter protested. “This thing would be messing with our minds anyway, maybe we would kill each other sooner.” to punctuate, she kicked the cracked metal shell, that still hid the remains of the creature. Some more disgusting liquid floated out of it, mixing with other disgusting liquids that already covered the floor. Ugh. Miko was glad she was wearing the armor, but then she thought of cleaning it. Ugh.

Dead thing and she helped to kill it ant the only way she felt affected was the fact that her armor was dirty.

All right, she was angry too and she would gladly kill the Watcher again, but she didn’t complain. She believed all of her companions felt mostly the same right now.

She regretted Thser-Nah’s death, she really started to like them, maybe she could have befriended them. Maybe she could have helped them – but she didn’t regret saving Frenzy.

“Are you able to take the weapon over, Soundwave?” Megatron asked.

“Confirmation from the inside needed. A firewall on the system: complicated. Two possibilities: take more time and disable it or find the inside controls.”

Miko noticed both Cybertronian leaders looking at each other, then nodding, as they agreed on something without even using words.

“Soundwave, work on the firewall, but we are going to look for the controls,” Optimus said.

***

There was just one anomaly needed: to destroy the structure and create a tear in the anomaly large enough for Echo to escape. Two would be too suspicious, Soundwave was too aware of that. The dying Watcher already sent some message to an unknown place: his kind, maybe? The quicker they’d get out, the better, and breaching the firewalls would take some more of the precious time.

The Watcher, submerged in his tank, used to control everything from there, but there were some consoles in the station: determining for whom they were created was now pointless, and Soundwave presumed the Watcher and others of his kind hadn’t spent their entire existence connected to the machines.

:We have something, boss!: the message form Frenzy came first before anyone else reacted. The cassette used their bond freely, happy to be in touch again. Over this happiness, Soundwave felt the echo of recent suffering. Not the worst Frenzy got through, he was resilient and recovered fast, but Soundwave hated it every time when someone made his symbionts hurt.

:Soundwave, I believe we had found something: Megatron’s message came after that. :Glyphs look familiar, but are not.:

:Couldn’t we just smash it?: Shatter asked. Somewhere – the station’s systems caught this – Miko laughed.

Soundwave must have admitted the human soldier was a resourceful creature.

:Negative. Give me visuals.”

The glyphs appeared on screen and Veiora gasped.

“We keep this data, yes?” she asked.

Soundwave only nodded, to occupied with running translation programs, some of them using Echo’s systems, some running on his own.

:Confirmative: this is the right console. Sending instructions. As soon as the timer is set, proceed to the exit.:

Veiora watched him as he was providing instruction and setting the parameters for Echo. They sighed when the explosion was set.

“I really would like to go there and explore” They complained.

“At what cost?” Soundwave asked.

They shrugged.

“I know, I know, more of out ‘watchers’ are waiting out there, but still, so much knowledge, it performed research, right? Not always ethical, but what research is ethical anyway… If I could return here one day...”

If they returned, Soundwave thought, and made contact with the Watcher’s race, Veiora would either be killed or used by those creatures, in the end, none of those outcomes good for them. But he didn’t tell that. This was Veiora’s problem, not his. Their captain’s, maybe, the Council’s if Veiora would be able to convince them to do research.

There was one thing Soundwave should warn them about, though, for the good of his own race.

“Veiora: takes everything under consideration. What if some members of Galactic Council think they could make a deal with Watcher’s race? Veiora: needs to remember this race hates everyone, is old and wicked. Highly possible: the use of the circumstances to get out of hiding and to start a war. This war would be worst than everything we had caused, and the Galactic Council has its reason to hate us.”

The scientist sighed.

“Fair point” they admitted.

Well, maybe they wouldn’t try then. They might be others. The day might come when another ancient evil comes out of its hiding: better be prepared for this situation.

So that was what Soundwave was going to take care of now.

The hanger bay door opened, letting in the entire team. Frenzy didn’t pay much attention to anyone, just rushing to the med bay to his wounded brother. Soon Soundwave heard Flatline protesting, as Frenzy was still covered with some substances of organic origin.

They all were, except for Miko, who deactivated her found. The armor folded inside a small round object, the residue of the Watcher and its bath splatting all over the hanger floor. Not that this was important right now: the floor needed cleaning anyway.

Optimus had a piece of shoulder armor missing, some minor energon lines leaking. Shatter had a bigger hole in the chest, above Spark chamber, red plating already stained with purple: she hadn’t complained, but Soundwave felt how she was hiding her pain.

“Shatter: to the med bay. Now,” he told her.

“Won’t you be needing help?” she asked.

“Shatter: needs help first.”

She didn’t protest anymore.

The rest followed to the Echo’s bridge. The station was there still, silent now, not entirely dead, not yet. Soundwave looked at the others, at both of his race’s leaders, awaiting an order, that didn’t seem to came: he was the one to push the trigger releasing the weapon, creating a way out and destroying the station.

So he did it, sending the last impulse to the alien systems.

“Estimated time to the singularity explosion: two minutes” he informed over the Echo’s internal comms. “Prepare.”

He was the one to take control of his ship, with both Frenzy and Rumble recovering from their wounds. But he would take the helm anyway, this just reduced the time necessary to give the command. The stream of data filled his vision, as the station started to fall apart, torn by massive energy from the inside. A powerful weapon indeed, once he would give a lot to bring such an advantage into the war. But this was a long time ago and now the priority was to escape.

He turned on the FTL drive. The energy of the exploding singularity tore through space and Echo rushed towards the tear, passing the remains of what a moment ago was the Watcher’s domain.

The hard to pierce the darkness of Kaschig’s Field gave place to the familiar darkness of deep space, fleckered with stars, broken with flares of the color of star systems and nebulas.

The anomaly closed behind their back throwing out several pieces of scrap: remains of the structure. Echo flew in between them, into the normal space.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Future plans – I need to be sure I’m clean - The aliens have their issues, part 4 – Go find help – Soundwave’s loyalty

If Echo was to return to the Citrix system – the ship left the anomaly outside it – it needed several repairs. There was damage from the shoots from Steadfast Progress, from the claws, and, finally, from the debris that hit the ship during the escape. The crew needed repairs as well: not only mecha but also organics. Miko had some bruises all over and she claimed she might have broken a rib when she fell. Soundwave had only a very vauge what a rib was, but it didn’t seem to affect any important functions of the human body. Captain Attu Zovvosk was much more damaged, after the fight with commander Fal Trena. According to Veiora, this was not the worst though: loss of the crew, including commander Fal Trena, Croz'ik and lieutenant Thser-Nah affected the alien captain badly. The good side was that they were quiet and didn’t ask questions. Neither were their remaining crew members, now too occupied with repairs and helping each other.

Soundwave estimated the time they needed for two standard day-cycles. Two standard day-cycles to decide what to do next and how to proceed with returning the aliens to the Council without giving in.

As soon as the aliens left to provide each other medical attention, the two former Cybertronian leaders and Soundwave were left alone – for a discussion that needed to happen.

At least that was what Soundwave expected, but he didn’t take one thing under consideration.

Megatron was unrest since they left the Kaschig’s Field, and he had many reasons for it: what happened inside the anomaly, Optimus’ presence, the constant need to hide in the plain sight. But the unrest reached deeper than Soundwave believed at first.

So as Soundwave and Optimus started to discuss what should be done next, he remained silent, his field swirling with strong, suppressed emotions. He reminded his former self like this: a menacing presence, watching the others with red eyes, ready to intervene, to give his last word. Only the emotions Soundwave received were far from what he was used to too much fear to find it normal.

“I made a promise” Optimus stated. “And I expect you to honor it.”

He had this defensive, but determined stance: fierce glow in his blue eyes, immense charisma, that was noticeable even without the Matrix, reminding, that he was one of the greatest Cybertronian leaders for a reason, that he had it in him all the time, that it was not only the ancient artifact.

“Soundwave: will not oppose, if Megatron agrees. The problem: what do the aliens know? Miko Nakadai: is trusted?”

“I need to talk with Miko,” Optimus said. “But I don’t believe she is a problem.”

Megatron snickered.

He kept the distance, looking out of the window. Outside, the reflective surface marking where Kaschig’s Field began shifted and glistered in the darkness.

He said nothing.

“Miko is my responsibility,” Optimus said.

“Optimus: had his time to know the human.” Soundwave agreed. “She can be talked to openly. The other aliens: suspicious. Will start asking questions. Determining the way of returning them remains. Dropkick’s fate remains.”

“This is also a promise we need to keep. We discussed it with Shatter before: we could exchange the crew of Steadfast Progress for Dropkick.”

“This would mean show ourselves.”

“You were ready to show some documentation and permissions to captain Zovvosk” Optimus reminded.

“Such permissions exist. Plan: to use them in a critical situation.”

“Consider it a critical situation then. We need to keep it as plausible as possible.”

“You would need to watch the captain,” Megatron said from his place in front of the window. “Notice the questions they will ask. They won’t ask directly if they suspects something, they will not be stupid, not now: they would expect us to be ready to kill them and the rest of their crew. They will probably be relieved when they will discover we are letting them go… But I wouldn’t trust them. It would be much easier if...” He didn’t finish the sentence, just shook his head. “This is out of the question now, though. If the human is trustworthy, you could ask her in fact. I need to speak with Soundwave in private and I’d appreciate if we were left alone.

Optimus turned his head to look at Megatron, who was still looking outside, a little absent.

Impatient, Soundwave read in his field. Wanted to deal with something, as soon as it was possible, before dealing with other things, there were too many of them, but this one needed to be taken care of urgently.

“I’ll go talk to Miko then” Optimus agreed. “You are right. She probably had already discussed the situation with the others.”

Megatron turned from the window and for a moment their eyes crossed. Soundwave felt the sudden burst in their both EM fields. They stood too far apart to feel each other, but he found himself in the crossfire.

The mix was intense.

“We will talk later,” Optimus said. “If you will be willing.”

For a moment Megatron’s face and field returned from concerned and terrified to more normal, as his mouth curved into a mocking smile.

“You hope I will avoid you now?” he asked.

“I hope for the opposite. Avoiding you was always the last thing I would do.”

“Good. Then go talk to your human.”

As soon, as Optimus left, this confronting smile disappeared. Soundwave stood there as Megatron closed the distance between them.

“Soundwave, I need your favor.”

Soundwave blinked under his visor.

Megatron had never asked for a favor. He was giving orders, that’s how it was. Hearing him asking for favor was weird and a little painful: it showed, how deep the change was and something in Soundwave’s Spark rebelled at the thought.

He wanted Megatron back, his Megatron, his leader, not the person who was in front of him now, a person he didn’t know.

No, he told himself. This is still the same person, changed, yes, lots of things happened, his behavior, his approach changed, maybe really for better, because I had changed as well.

“Soundwave: ready to help,” he said.

“I need you to perform a scan on me. I need to be sure I am clean.”

Megatron would rather deal with Optimus right now, Soundwave realized, than with this thing.

“The Council’s programming...”

“Not programming. They wouldn’t be able to reprogram an insecticon. I need to be sure if this creature, this Watcher didn’t leave anything inside me.”

There was fear in Megatron’s field. Controlled, but very, very deeply rooted.

“Confirmative” Soundwave agreed.

This was not the moment of closeness he imagined, he hoped to have.

Megatron hated any inference in his mind. He was almost shadowplayed once, and over the millennia many mecha attempted to take control over him. Asking Soundwave for a scan was an act of trust.

He let his former leader take a comfortable seat and relax, as much, as he needed, before he approached, using his outlier abilities on high, looking into Megatron’s mind deeper than he usually did.

If he had the chance to do it years ago, maybe some things would look different now. But then he was too crushed with Megatron’s defection and his perceived betrayal.

There were fear and uncertainty. There was doubt and a memory Soundwave was not aware of: a very old memory of the creature not unlike the Watcher, the same ancient, hateful race. Soundwave shivered because this confirmed one of the things he saw in Watcher’s mind. So Megatron met such a creature once and, unknowing, let it influence him and then possess him. This was the source of fear, a knowledge of how the now-long-dead monster left parts of its Spark energy inside Megatron’s own. There was also a memory of Optimus using the Matrix to purge this presence and the memory of gratefulness – and hatred, because Megatron couldn’t be grateful for anything a Prime did.

There was a regret, that Optimus is now unable to do the same. A fear, that if Megatron is possessed again, there is no certain way to recover.

There was a glimpse of what Megatron thought when he took on the Watcher: that if anyone should take the risk, it should be him because he wouldn’t allow anyone to experience what happened to him millennia ago. That if he needs to be killed, let it be, and damn Optimus and those empty promises that he won’t allow it.

There was a fresh memory of Optimus asking if everything is all right.

There was the thought of disappointing Soundwave, and Soundwave knew this was something he didn’t want to know, not like this.

There was fear. There was will of life, despite everything, a little joy at the fact Megatron was alive and free: there was a fear of losing this, of reverting to the previous state of mind, of losing the newfound balance ant of falling into the madness: and Megatron believed the Watcher was able to do this to him.

There was a memory of Watcher’s eyes.

There was no Watcher itself.

Soundwave backed off. He felt horrible. Megatron opened his eyes and looked at him.

“And?” he asked, worried.

“You are clean”

Relief filled Megatron’s field.

“I didn’t know,” Soundwave said. “Of what happened then.”

“I didn’t want anyone to know”

“I can understand.” Soundwave nodded.

This was even more unsettling. How much of their existence was shaped by those beings that claimed to create them? How many of what happened was orchestrated by them? How much of how the war looked like was influenced by that one creature, long dead now, but still burned into the circuits of Megatron’s mind?

Soundwave preferred to believe they had agency and so did Megatron – but the fear of the influence remained in him after all those years, just to be reawakened now.

Soundwave thought, that just in case this ancient race decided to return, some steps must be taken. Like learning more of this “hidden” frequency that was used to mess with his mind, with the minds of the others, probably. If the beings were to return, then they shouldn’t find easy targets.

“Those things won’t happen again” he reassured his leader.

***

Miko had a bandage around her ribcage. She hadn’t allowed anything else. The food rations and basic antiseptics looked acceptable for a human, but she was not desperate enough to give herself into the care of an alien medic. And said alien medic luckily agreed.

Still, they understood how bones work and were able to determine that Miko’s injuries weren’t serious.

They went out of this without anything critical.

She put the suit back on, but with helmet detached. The bandages and the suit made quite a firm corset around her body. The armor would probably hold the ribs better, but Miko didn’t put it on again. In fact, she was aware she is going to lose it: either she was going to leave it to Optimus, or, if she had taken it with her, general Faireborn would take it away.

Miko sighted.

She hadn’t thought of the general since… very long ago apparently. It had felt like ages, though it was much, much shorter. Marissa Faireborn probably considered the young soldier dead. Maybe that would be better, to stay dead to the world, while performing a task? But this was impossible. Miko wouldn’t survive long on her own among aliens who knew nothing of human biology.

Well, at least she finally had something to eat, but the universal energy bars she got from the Council’s peacekeepers were even worse than standard military emergency rations. They were perfectly tasteless, which made them neutral, of course, but she had eaten them only because she was really hungry.

She chewed one of them right now, still grateful that she had it, despite the lack of taste. In the opposite corner of the large room, the other aliens from Steadfast Progress gathered, although, she thought sadly, four that were left alive barely counted as a gathering.

They were talking to her, before, none of them as friendly as Thser-Nah earlier was. In fact, captain Zovvosk asked several questions.

“I know it can be bad timing,” they said. “But you seem to know those Cybertronians better than we do.”

She was aware of what they wanted to achieve but did her best pretending she didn’t.

“They promised to take us back to the station, they will do this” she shrugged. “But if you have any doubts, captain, you can always talk to them. Orion is reliable, but I believe the others are too.”

“He might be” the alien was cautious. “I have doubts about others. The matter of what they were doing in the system at this particular time is still unsolved.”

She looked into the alien’s eyes. They had double pupils inside golden irises.

“Ask them,” she said again. “I had no opportunity to really talk with them, but really, captain, I think you might be a little paranoid? I mean, as I was on the Citrix station, there were some Cybertronians there. I don’t think the Council is not allowing them access? I mean, they have an ambassador on the station, right? The Council wants cooperation.”

“The ship belongs to a Decepticon. I believe I heard the name Soundwave somewhere.”

Well, this was something Miko couldn’t hide. Soundwave didn’t even bother to hide his identity. She shrugged.

“I know who he is and who he was and he works with the new Cybertronian government now, in fact. And he introduced himself openly, do you think there is something he has to hide? And he and Shatter and Frenzy and Rumble and Buzzsaw are Decepticons, but I don’t really think it matters for them anymore? I mean, Flatline and Orion are neutrals? And Terminus is an Autobot?”

Lies. Lies mixed with truth.

“Trena was bothered with Terminus.”

Miko almost started to laugh. She forced herself not to.

“Commander Fal was too eager to shoot at everyone, including you” she reminded.

“They were influenced.” the captain protested.

Miko remembered how weird the relationship between them was. Something worth checking, maybe. Something worth using?

“We all were. But Thser-Nah said commander Fal had been working with Black Block Consortia before? Sorry, my race is in alliance with Cybertron, so I will choose my allies over a mistrusted faction.”

She bluffed with this “mistrusted faction” but it worked.

The alien captain nodded.

“You are right, Miko Nakadai. I have to talk to them.”

Miko knew, there will be more questions in the future. She needed to prepare for them and she had several ideas about what to do. Confrontation with general Faireborn will be the worst.

Telling the truth would be the easiest. Telling the truth would be probably right.

She somehow still trusted Optimus more than she trusted the general and this was weird and complicated and she still didn’t understand it.

I really deserve this power armor – she thought.

The door to the room opened and she indeed saw Optimus coming in. Still with the camouflage covering his armor, so no using real names. All right.

“Miko? I’d like to talk to you if you have a moment.”

She smiled, maybe to widely.

Captain Zovvosk rose from their place.

“I’d like to talk to you too, Orion Pax,” they said.

“Of course. We need to discuss how we proceed with our arrangements.”

“I have questions, in fact,” the alien captain said.

“I expect you to. Do you want to ask them now, or in private?”

“I can wait.”

“Very well. Miko?”

She followed out the room and to the another, where she was able to climb on a large slab, probably a table. This way she could be at the level of Optimus’ face when he sat on the floor.

“I want you to know, what are you going to do,” he said.

She felt guilt overcoming her: at the fact she was going to betray her own kind, probably, maybe, formally.

“I need to return to Earth,” she said.

“I know. And I will understand if you decide to tell the truth.”

“I’m going to lie” she admitted. “I… I have an idea what I could do to make it as plausible as possible, I’ll be using your persona for this. And I hope the general will believe me.”

“Marissa is a smart, resourceful person. She will ask questions. She has much more experience than you have. She might discover the truth, and then you will have to bear the consequences” he shook his head. “I don’t want you to be arrested.”

“Well, I know. The general knows you: she can recognize you, all right. If she does, maybe try to explain that to her personally. I mean… what are you going to do, actually? Live in hiding? I mean, I understand…” she stopped, still unable to pronounce Megatron’s name “He has to, all right, but you?”

“This would be better.”

Miko snickered.

“Really? What are you going to do? You could make the universe better.”

“I had my chance. I destroyed much more than I was able to fix. The others need their chance now. They are already building a new society and I believe they are doing well. My time is over. I died and I should have stayed dead. I will remain dead for my people.”

In his eyes Miko saw the same sadness, she recognized in Oluwasegun before. Emptiness and the lack of meaning.

She wanted to hug him, badly.

“So what?” she demanded. “I still think you are depressed. If you are alive, you need something to live for. You were a leader your entire life! Or most of it, at least, but, there is my point. You need to get occupied with something, I don’t know, I doubt gardening is a good idea, I mean, do you even know the concept?”

“We used to have crystal gardens on Cybertron… long ago.”

Miko smiled. Crystal gardens must have been nice.

“Crystals are growing. I’d like to see one.” Then she laughed, a ridiculously absurd vision coming to her mind. “Ok, I just imagined you two tending a crystal garden on your retirement. Don’t do this. Just don’t. But visit this friend you mentioned, the one who got married? He deserves to know. And please, promise me, get some help. You say you did many bad things, maybe you did, but for most of the universe you are the hero, and you don’t deserve falling to doubt.”

She saw Optimus smiling. This was an unusual sight, not something she ever expected to see. But it was a pleasant smile, and she recognized in it the way Oluwasegun used to smile. This was the real version, adjusted to all the mechanisms in Optimus’ face.

“I will see this friend. You are right: he deserves this.”

“Maybe he will find you some help?” She said with hope.

“I doubt it. We… we don’t have good therapists. The war wasn’t a circumstance for this to develop.”

“Something you need to work on then. Something you still can rebuild... You know” Miko said “I have this feeling you are part of something that should be my life. I cannot explain it. It’s just that. But” she changed topic “captain of Steadfast Progress wants to talk to you. He has questions. Just in case – I don’t know your real name. And you rescuing me was an accident. I just told him you seemed trustworthy to me.”

***

Soundwave should have known, that the scan wasn’t the only thing Megatron would want from him.

„I’d like to say, that I appreciate what you did,” Megatron said, folding his arms.

His eyes were piercing and Soundwave felt as if his former leader looked straight through the plating, into his Spark. Which was not true, it was Soundwave, who could read the EM fields with a precision unavailable to other mecha, the outlier ability, that made him telepathic. But now he felt like Megatron was judging him: his moment of doubt and failed alliance with Galvatron, failure in reforming Decepticons into a pacifistic movement, death of the rest of command, absence at the trial.

But it was not like that. Megatron didn’t judge: he wanted to understand.

This was unexpected when Soundwave read it in Megatron’s field.

„Megatron: doesn’t understand.”

„Yes. I don’t. You went through all this to save me when I didn’t need it. What you did can put our species in danger, can end the peace we achieved, and you are not stupid, you never were, you know that. So I need to know: why. Why did you do this? I didn’t want it, I certainly didn’t order you to do it.”

Soundwave rose his head to let his visor meet this piercing gaze.

„Soundwave: loyal.”

Megatron laughed.

„Loyal to whom? To what?”

Soundwave knew what was coming, by Megatron’s stance, by the way, he looked, by the mocking smile, by the pulses in EM field. He had no choice, but to confront this, no matter, how much he didn’t want it. But Megatron was going to push as long, as he needed for Soundwave to crack open, and he wasn’t going to let this go.

Soundwave knew, he was cornered and had already lost it.

„Soundwave: always loyal to Decepticon cause.”

„Oh? And what do you understand by that? What do you mean with „Decepticon cause”? Do you think this „Decepticon cause” needs me? Like the old times, isn’t it, Soundwave? You want me to lead you again – to what? Do you want us to conquer Cybertron and then the Galaxy, to introduce peace using tyranny? If so, I have bad news for you: I’m not the mech you need. So what is Decepticon cause for you, Soundwave?”

„Decepticon cause: equality, freedom, peace. This is what we were striving for. Starting war was necessary. Casualties were necessary.”

„But we had lost it later.”

„This is irrelevant. The cause remains. The philosophy remains. You created it. You led us. You gave us a purpose.”

„And then I rejected it. Did you save me in the name of ideology I betrayed, Soundwave?”

„Defection: irrelevant. Mecha from alternative universe confirm: Megatron remained true to his ideals.”

„Yes, this was what you told Shatter, didn’t you? This is how you persuaded her to wear the Decepticon insignia? Have you ever told her, what the mecha wearing them did? Does she know, what was done in my name?”

„In your name, she fought for the freedom of her people.”

„And she should have done this for herself!” Megatron shouted. „And you manipulated her into your plans!”

„Shatter: not easily manipulated. Reached to me on her own. Chose her color on her own. Megatron: knows Shatter better, than Soundwave does. Shatter: already said, why she did it.”

„She did. But you, Soundwave, you still haven’t answered my questions. Why? You know I won’t lead you again, so you must have other reasons. Why did you do it?”

„Soundwave: loyal to Megatron.”

Megatron smirked again, just the corner of his mouth.

„Oh? So you are loyal to me, let’s assume you are, despite you went after Galvarton so eagerly when I left. But the problem remains: do you know me enough, to be sure of this loyalty? Who is the Megatron you are loyal to? The revolutionary, that failed? The warlord, that no longer exists? The old, broken mech, that accepted his fate? No, you are not loyal to the last one, Soundwave, because if you were, you would let me stay imprisoned, you would know I accepted that fate for the greater good. You know, Soundwave, what I think? I think you are loyal to someone you imagined, to someone who never existed outside of what your brain module produced. But not to me.”

He stopped talking, but his eyes were still focused on Soundwave’s face, narrow and dark. Soundwave knew: he was going to push and push and push, he was going to disassemble layer by layer everything Soundwave claimed to believe in. But Soundwave was ready, the questions were not new to him. He kept asking them to himself over and over, he kept answering them to himself, mercilessly, until all the layers were stripped and nothing remained.

It hurt, to experience the same mercilessness from Megatron. It hurt, because Soundwave knew, what he wanted to experience instead. It hurt because Soundwave remembered all the thoughts that overcame him, as Rumble was wounded. Because Megatron asked the same question – was it worth it? - And Soundwave needed to answer it finally, with the honesty that was going to be even more painful.

„I did it for you,” he said.

„I didn’t ask for it. So why?”

„I was by your side for millennia. I was loyal – to the cause and to you.”

“And we lost the cause and I abandoned it – and I abandoned you.” Megatron’s voice had gotten less harsh and less demanding like it was someone else speaking, not the ruthless and cruel mech Soundwave followed for so long.

“You never did” Soundwave denied. “You found what we have lost. And so did I. You left us and you left me and you betrayed us, but it was necessary. And I betrayed you. But I need you, not to lead us, not to cause another war, but because you gave me my life and without you – without you, I wouldn’t be who I am now.”

“So you are grateful? That’s why?”

Soundwave shook his head.

“No. I...”

This was hard. This were things Soundwave wasn’t used to tell anyone. Too deep, too personal, and he was always seen as the one, who had little more emotions than a drone. And he always thought it was convenient.

“I care for you,” he said.

Primus damn it all.

Megatron just stared. Did he expect this answer? But he stopped asking. They went down to the most basic truth now.

They looked at each other for a moment, and then there Megatron was, embracing Soundwave, something Soundwave never expected to experience, even with his outlier abilities allowing him to predict, that yes, this was what Megatron intended to do.

“Thank you,” Megatron said. “For everything you have ever done for me. I appreciate it.”

They stayed like this for a moment, before Soundwave left the embrace, suppressing his field so that Megatron couldn’t notice his embarrassment – and other things that were trying to surface desperately.

But some degree of honesty was already achieved and there was no going back.

They stood looking at each other in silence for a long while and Soundwave felt his former leader’s emotions: embarrassment, guilt, inadequacy, caring. This was all new, but somehow amazing.

Maybe Soundwave should have said more, but that would be too much for this one day. And there were other matters they needed to attend: some of them private.

Outside the room they noticed Optimus and captain of Steadfast Progress talking.

“I have no choice, but to trust you” captain Zovvosk was speaking. “And I don’t have anything on you. Maybe it is time to let it go. You showed enough goodwill, Orion, I should show mine. You helped save as many of my people as you could: the loss of rest of them is my responsibility.” they shook their head. “If there are any more doubts there, I believe they are all me.”

So Optimus used his charisma to convince the alien captain not to investigate further – at least for now. Soundwave smiled.

Captain Zovvosk noticed him, nodded.

“I should thank you too,” they said. “And your subordinates.”

“Gratitude: accepted.”

The alien captain left and all the three mecha looked at each other. Soundwave noticed tension arising.

This was the time for him to withdraw.

“I believe you need to talk,” he said, letting his field to be calm and a little reassuring. This tension needed to be resolved before they proceeded with anything. “You will find me on the bridge if you need me.”

He left the two former leaders to each other. Some things were not meant for Soundwave, but he was ok with that.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is mostly smut, so I guess if anyone is uncomfortable with that, you can skip it?


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talking is hard – Orion Pax, part 4 – I have an offer – I know you – We have to learn to talk to each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As I said: a smutty chapter. No regrets.

The door closed soundlessly behind them. The room was one of the small private quarters on Echo: not very luxurious, but comfortable, as usual with private spacecraft, with small recharging alcove, one-mech sized washrack, table, and a couch. Not much place between the furniture, barely enough for someone with larger back kibble to move freely. Definitely too little for two mecha preferring to keep the distance.

The couch would force them to sit dangerously close, so neither of them took the chance, standing under the walls on opposite sides of the room.

But despite this distance, the words Megatron spoke were sincere, and so were his eyes. Concerned, a little tired and honest. His field was muted, but as Optimus brushed against it when they were entering the room, he didn’t feel hostility. A little fear, yes, but of a different kind than what Optimus saw inside the anomaly.

“I let Soundwave scan me. I am clean.”

“I didn’t expect anything else,” Optimus said.

“I’m just letting you know. Last time you helped me, but you wouldn’t be able to do it now. You would have to kill me in the end.”

Optimus would prefer that these allusions to killing finally stopped, but he was aware it was never going to happen.

He remained silent and for a longer moment they were both silent, just looking at each other, suddenly not able to talk, although what happened recently proved otherwise.

This was their last chance to talk. Optimus didn’t expect they were going to see each other anymore: he expected them both to part their ways and hide in two distant corners of the universe.

This would be the most reasonable solution, Optimus thought, but then why did he have a feeling that there was something not entirely right with it?

The universe without Megatron would be empty.

“I never thanked you” he heard in the end.

“It’s not necessary.”

“It is. I wouldn’t be here if not you. You had given me more chances than I’ve ever deserved.”

What should he answer? He stood in front of his former enemy. Without the mask, he felt, like he was bared, all his emotions suddenly visible and impossible to hide. In the past taking the mask off was a gesture reserved for those Optimus was close with.

Megatron was definitely not such a person, but now he was able to see Optimus’ uncovered face and this felt uncomfortable.

In fact, Megatron was looking at his face, his eyes tracing every contour and detail. Unsettling, and wrong and a little fascinating.

“I’m not going to abuse this chance,” Megatron said. “I’m not going to destroy what our people now have. I’m not going to come in your way again”

“I don’t expect you to”

They paused again, silence heavy between them. Was it bound to be like this every time when they had a chance to be something others than enemies, to actually sit and talk?

Optimus needed to say something.

“I’m sorry” this was unexpected, even for himself. “I failed you. At the beginning. I didn’t notice many things, if I did, everything would be different. Better. We wouldn’t have to go through all of this.”

Megatron looked at him surprised, then he smirked, then started to laugh.

“Are you apologizing for the fact, that I started the war?”

“No. We both started it. It was as much my fault, as yours. My blindness for why you did what you did.”

“No time to regret it now,” Megatron answered. “It is over now.”

“Yes. I hope it is”.

They went silent for another while, and Optimus was considering leaving, believing the conversation is over. But he hesitated. This could be the last time they saw each other and thinking of that was uncomfortable. This is not what he wanted.

But then, what did he want?

“I wanted to,” Megatron said suddenly.

Optimus looked at him, now he surprised, not understanding, what was it about.

“Excuse me?”

“Orion. I believe you were thinking about it, after Shatter talk to you? Because of course she did and of course she made suggestions. So, I didn’t frag him, but I wanted to. I didn’t even try. You know why?”

Optimus didn’t answer. He just kept looking at Megatron, trying to comprehend.

“He didn’t know me. It would be so easy to present to him the best version of me. The one, that would erase all those lives I’ve taken. He was my friend and he could be more than that, but…” Megatron shook his head. “And it was not that I didn’t want, but… he didn’t know me. Not as good as you do.”

He went silent again. Optimus looked at him, stunned. His processor tried to analyze what he just heard, to grasp the consequences of Megatron’s confession.

“You don’t need to do anything with that” Megatron said. “I just thought I should be honest with you. I provoked you before. I liked it, but it would be unfair to leave you with doubt.”

“Thank you,” Optimus said slowly.

Those eyes looking at him, at his exposed face, like they tried to map every contour and detail when fingers could not. Like they wanted to remember the image so rarely seen: and more welcomed than anyone would expect.

Megatron stood up, came closer and stopped next to the place Optimus sat. His eyes were still focused on Optimus’ face.

“Actually,” he said. “I have an offer. I will ask it only once and if you don’t accept it, I will never speak of it again. Do you want to frag me?”

Optimus didn’t answer at first, completely stunned. Megatron nodded.

„All right then,” he said and turned around, ready to leave the room.

Optimus closed the distance and put his hand on Megatron’s shoulder. There was a moment when they looked at each other, every second as long as a millennium before they lips met.

It was almost violent and overwhelming, echoes of their countless clashes on the battlefield translated into a kiss. Their frames pressing against each other, fingers almost making dents in plating, charge starting to crack between them.

Optimus grabbed Megatron by his shoulders, pushed him towards the nearest wall, not even thinking, what he was doing. Those were his combat subroutines, telling him to attack, to overpower and subdue the opponent.

Megatron’s processor was apparently doing the same because he revved his engine and pushed back – his lips and glossa, his hands, all of his frame.

Then he hit the wall, hard, and made a painful sound. Optimus stopped, part of his subroutines telling him he should indeed hurt the enemy, part of them reminding that this was not really a fight.

„All right?” he asked, breaking the kiss.

„My back is still a mess” Megatron answered. „Don’t let it stop you” he added with a smirk on his face. „If you hesitate, I will take advantage.”

„Not a chance”

Megatron answered to this with laughter that Optimus muffled quickly with another aggressive kiss. The other mech answered it with equal aggression, sucking and biting on his former enemy’s lips until they both could taste Energon.

It was intoxicating. Finding all the seams and sensitive spots on Megatron’s body was easy. This was the fuel line he could try to cut, this should be the spot that would incapacitate arm if hit. If they were fighting.

They were not, not literary – but it was a lot like a fight, every movement of hands on the other’s frame like an assault, and even if Optimus managed to keep Megatron pressed against the wall, he understood, that if he hesitates again, Megatron would take his chance to turn their positions around.

That also was arousing.

Maybe it was a bad idea – but in the end the chances they would cause another war this way were really little. What worse than that could they ever do?

So Optimus tried to ignore the lines, that informed him this was a bad idea and kept going instead. Soon his fingers slid down, to Megatron’s hips and then towards the heated panel. He was fully aware, his own was equally hot now. Megatron’s hands stopped the exploration for a moment, and his vocalizer released a long moan. This was a moment Optimus knew he won this brief struggle.

He pressed another kiss on Megatron’s throat, as his hand stroked the panel. Mine, the word formed in Optimus’ processor and the force and the possessiveness of it surprised him. It was not something he ever expected to think about anyone, yet alone Megatron. But it must have been something inside him, like a glitch, a side effect of all the complex feelings he had towards his archenemy. Now this unexpected code lines emerged and made Optimus press Megatron harder into the wall and fingers on the panel – and inside once the panel folded away.

Megatron made another sound and moved his hips against Optimus’ hand, leaving the traces of lubricant on fingers and palm, impaling himself on the fingers, forcing Optimus to thrust deeper in search for sensitive sensor nodes.

Mine, rang the word in Optimus’ head. Mine.

Where had this glitched piece of coding come? Why it was so stubborn, why did it send impulses to Optimus’ Spark?

He didn’t want to think about it. He didn’t want to stop.

He pressed his thumb to Megatron’s anterior node. Megatron clutched his arms, denting the plating, his frame shaking, eyes dim, half-closed. He was magnificent like this, all his dangerous power pressed against Optimus, in his hands, trembling at the incoming overload.

Mine. Mine.

Optimus’ own array was beneath control now, panels retracting, spike pressurized and aching for stimulation. But he wanted to see Megatron overloading first, he was too close to achieving this to back off now. He pressed harder at all the nodes he could reach with his fingers, his other hand and lips on Megatron’s neck cables. He felt them tensing, he felt valve’s inside contracting, nodes swollen and pulsating.

He held Megatron against the wall during the overload but didn’t let him go afterward, using the temporary weakness in his struts to his advantage, to turn his partner around, firmly, but with regard on any possible sign of protest. There wasn’t any. Megatron just moaned under the touch, relaxed, but still aroused. Optimus pressed himself at his back, kissing it: the new plating, fresh welds, all what reminded how all of this looked like just recently.

Megatron had a thick armor on his back, most of it insensitive, but there was a transformation seam in the middle, and Optimus kissed and licked it with affection.

His partner made a displeased sound.

“What the Pit is that?!” he demanded.

But when Optimus reached to his aft again, he didn’t escape the touch, still aroused and ready to go.

Optimus moved his lips to Megatron’s audial receptors, licked the plating around.

“Just tell me if something is wrong,” he said, again, his voice full of affection. When had all this happened? Why was his Spark singing with joy he didn’t even remember being able to feel?

He didn’t want to think about it now. He just pressed his spike inside welcoming heat, putting one hand on Megatron’s hip, the other on his shoulder, to press Megatron farther into the wall. This was not affectionate anymore, the thrusts were not gentle, like there were on the battlefield again.

Mine.

“Mine” Optimus said straight in Megatron’s audial receptor.

“You wish” his partner replied, but those words turned into a loud moan and there was a sudden roll in the hips and clench in the valve.

And Optimus went with it.

“Oh you so sure?” he muttered, setting a faster pace. “I won. I might have killed you. I might have left you imprisoned. I chose not to do this. I could reject your offer, but I accepted it. I chose to have you. You are mine.”

Megatron moaned and gasped and then fell into overload again, screaming. As if he reacted this way at this possessive gesture – and his scream and this thought sent Optimus over the edge.

They stayed like this for a while, frames heavy, leaned against each other and the wall, cooling fans calming down slowly.

This gave Optimus another chance to embrace his partner – his lover. Gently, affection returning and with it – doubt.

„Are you all right?” he asked.

„Do I look like I wasn’t?” Megatron answered. His voice and his field were filled with tired satisfaction.

„I might have said too much...”

Megatron laughed.

„Spare me. Like you didn’t mean it.”

„I wouldn’t force you to anything”

„Do I look like someone who was forced?” Megatron turned around. He was annoyed now. „Do you think, I wouldn’t protest, if I didn’t want this? I saw you doing worse than this. You almost electrocuted me to death – and you are worried that I will be upset by you talking nonsense? Really?”

It was not nonsense, not entirely, and that was the problem. The combination of possessiveness and affection echoed in Optimus’ processor and he wanted to cling to them.

He slowly let go of his partner.

„I might care too much” he admitted.

This had double meaning he was well aware of.

Optimus expected Megatron to leave, but he just sat on the couch. He didn’t look at the other mech, eyes turned towards the large window and the distant nebulas outside.

“Thank you,” he said. “I needed it.”

Optimus felt the urge to approach, to embrace Megatron again, no, not to initiate interface again – not at the moment, at least, maybe later, but now he just wanted physical contact and this was terrifying

But he was not alone at the moment. He was with someone who knew him and understood him. He forgot the sickness of his Spark, depression, as Miko called it. After the overload both his frame and processor felt clear, lighter, better.

He was aware this was not a solution for the problem, that even if he was to do this – interfacing any mech, not this one, in particular, he reminded himself – on regular basis, it wouldn’t solve the problem. But it might have help, if he occasionally had felt like this, close to someone.

He hadn't had anyone close to him for a long time. Not only a lover but also a very close friend. For a moment Miko was an equivalent for this, but he had no illusions: Oluwasegun Pretorius could have befriended the young soldier, but Optimus couldn’t, not even now.

If he renewed his friendship with Ratchet… they were very close friends once.

Megatron’s presence was not the best opportunity to think about crushing loneliness.

He sat down on the couch, not touching, but just close enough for their fields to overlap. If he closed his eyes and forgot who he was sitting close to, he could easily call this presence calming.

“I think I needed it too” Optimus admitted.

Megatron turned his head.

“You feel like this. And worried, too. Focus on what was good about it. This is what I am doing.”

His voice was oddly gentle and that made Optimus’ Spark clutch even more.

Yes, it would be easier if he didn’t analyze and just enjoyed.

So Optimus did what he wanted to do: leaned closer, until their plating touched gently. Megatron snorted but didn’t withdraw.

„Idiot,” he said. „Fraggin’ sentimental glitch. Say something and I will kill you this time.”

Optimus didn’t expect the threat to be sincere, but he didn’t say anything.

Maybe it was better this way.

„In fact, I don’t think I’m finished with you,” Megatron said after another moment of silence.

His fingers slid on Optimus’ neck, pressed against fuel lines, sharp, clawlike tips, that could pierce the delicate wiring, if only they applied just a little more pressure. Megatron’s voice sounded like a threat and a promise at the same time. How could the voice, that promised death so many times sound so erotic? But it did. This voice and the slightly louder now sound of the engine was sending vibrations to Optimus’ frame, waking the interface systems again.

There was a grin on Megatron’s face as threatening as promising, exactly the same as his words were.

Optimus’ body reacted, some old, unused for a very long time systems coming online, making him lean into the other mech again, to allow those fingers stroll on his neck, slowly, lazily. It wasn’t the level of aggression they had a few moments before. Oh, it was still there, the awareness of each other’s power, tension in the look they throw to each other. Their frames might have not been in a fight, but they were, constantly, locked in an endless dance, that never really stopped, only now the moves seemed to change.

There were Megatron’s lips near the edge of Optimus’ finial, in the place, it attached to the audial receptor, so as the words came out of former warlord’s mouth, the ex-vent slid on the antenna’s edge. This made Optimus shiver.

„I know you” Megatron’s voice was a low murmur. „I know every weak point you have. I watched you. Analyzed you. Thought of the best ways to hit you. To make you suffer before I kill you. I remember those. I can use them. I intend to. I intend to make you scream.”

The hand slid, fingers curled around Optimus’ neck, pressing at wiring dangerously.

Optimus caught Megatron’s wrist. Just to remind him, he was not giving up easily. Their eyes locked.

Oh, those threats were the answer to Optimus’ possessiveness from before and Optimus knew it. It was thrilling. It was arousing in the way he never expected it could be.

He pressed Megatron’s hand to his lips, glossa sliding along the wrist, the palm, the fingers, that pushed inside Optimus’ mouth, deep, almost forcefully.

„Would I be able to get enough of your lips… I used to doubt, you even have it” Megatron said.

Optimus sucked at his fingers.

Mine, the blasted processor said again.

Optimus didn’t intend to say this out loud again.

But that was what formed inside his mind. Megatron belonged to him. They belonged to each other, like some kind of cruel destiny entwined their fates.

Four million years, they had been together, on the opposite sides, always searching for each other, always attempting, always fighting, defining each other, deciding each other’s fate, bringing each other to the edge of death and back again.

And now this.

The same dance, different part.

Megatron moaned deeply, throw his helm back, forgetting for a moment of his threats. Optimus did his best to make this finger-sucking a promise.

Making his enemy submit – how arousing was that.

Apparently, Megatron was thinking the same.

He took the fingers away, now glistering with oral lubricants.

„I’d love to have you on your knees, your mouth around my spike,” he said. „But this we will leave for another time.”

Optimus smiled. Was Megatron aware what the words „another time” implied? He must have been.

Another promise. Another thing, they will have to figure out, if they wanted to continue this… this thing.

Not now.

Megatron shifted his weight, pushed Optimus on the couch and was now kneeling above him, the image from nightmares, red eyes glowing brightly under the edge of the silver helm, cruel smile on beautiful lips, hands pressing on Optimus’ chest, right over the spark chamber and the place the Matrix once had been.

They were in this situation, more than once.

Was the thrill Optimus had felt there only caused by fear mixed with battlefield procedures or was it something else?

Now his frame was tense, his eyes watching his former enemy’s every move, just in case Megatron decided he wants to kill him. But he only did the same, Optimus had done before – reached to all vulnerable places to tease them, and stroke them, and suck on them, going down, and down, and down, hands and lips alike, towards the abdomen and then hips, towards interface panel, that was not yet opened, but still not fully cooled down.

And there were the lips on the panel itself and Optimus gasped and allowed the cover to retract.

Megatron had now fingers deep in the pelvic seams, his glossa sweeping on the outside of the array, avoiding any direct contact – for now.

„Are going to torture me?” Optimus asked, his voice filled with static, and Megatron rose his head and smiled again.

„You know, I can do it,” he said.

Then his fingers slid around the rim of Optimus valve, light, very light, teasing touch.

One could think, of the two of them it would be Optimus, who would be so gentle…

He sighed again, his legs going farther apart. Where was the last time someone did it for him? Too long ago… And Megatron was good, better than Optimus expected… no, he didn’t want to think, who were Megatron’s previous lovers, he might have some suspicion, but thinking of it right now was destroying everything.

So he stopped thinking and just concentrated on the movements of Megatron’s fingers and glossa, on the merciless gentleness of the licks and strokes on the rim, then on the anterior node, that activated fully now, demanding attention, then on the nodes inside the valve, one cluster after another, as if Megatron intended to activate every one of them separately.

„This is not...” Optimus managed to gasp „A weak point one could easily observe on the battlefield...”

He looked down in hope Megatron will raise his head again – and was not disappointed. It was a thrilling, beautiful sight, that made Optimus’ whole frame shiver. Megatron smiled again – no, he never stopped smiling, this entire time, like what he was doing was both the best and the cruelest thing he had ever done.

“Maybe,” he said “But after all those years, you think there is anything in you than can stay hidden? That I don’t know you, that I cannot see straight inside your Spark?”

This should be terrifying, considering conflicted feelings struggling inside Optimus’ processor. It was not. He shivered again, and Megatron smiled widely.

Optimus wondered how did it happen, that he submitted so easily. His battle protocols were offlining one by one, switching the power to those responsible for receiving pleasure. Not that he was suddenly becoming defenseless, but he definitely had his reactions other, than receptivity slowed down.

It was too good, Megatron’s one hand on his tight, the one slowly stroking the plating around the spike – but not touching the spike itself, just teasing. Mouth again on the valve, each slide of the glossa prolonged, as if Megatron wanted indeed to torment his partner, to make him beg. To make him scream.

Part of him wanted to give in, the other didn’t want to give the enemy an easy victory.

He missed it. He needed it.

When he had thought, his overload is close, Megatron withdrew both his fingers and glossa and Optimus forced himself not to give a disappointed whine.

Oh, the bar was set high now, he thought. He will need to do much better next time.

This thought caused his components to twitch again, although there was no stimulation applied right now.

“You had thought of something” Megatron guessed, his voice amused, his finger – only one finger – returning to stroking the sensitive rims of Optimus’ panels. “Something that worked for you… Care to share it?”

Optimus sat up, eyes locked on his partner. He grinned.

“Only about what I’ll do to you if you keep stopping like this”

He noticed an increased glow in Megatron’s eyes.

“Threatening? You? Me?”

“Like you were surprised…” he leaned towards Megatron, putting his hand on his cheek. “You stopped. Are you so eager to be under me again? This can be done.”

“So you could tell me you own me again?”

“Oh, don’t I?”

Megatron laughed, rising simultaneously, pushing Optimus back again, pressing him on the couch, his pelvis between Optimus legs.

“You can always dream,” he said, his weight pressing Optimus into the couch, pressurized spike touching the tight. “And I love it, when you are like this” Megatron continued, catching Optimus’ wrists. “This dark side of you. We are so much alike, we always were. You know it. I see it in your eyes, the anger… do you still hate me?”

“You know I don’t”

“What I know,” Megatron said, “Is that you want me.”

And he thrust. Optimus tried to suppress his reaction – in vain.

„I think… you… want me as much… since you’ve lost your patience...”

„You didn’t have any at all before. Was the Matrix the only source you had?”

Optimus wanted to protest, but then there were again the lips next to his audial receptor, low, vibrating voice, breaking with static, because Megatron didn’t stop, his hands on Optimus hips, but his upper body lowered so that their heads touched, their chests pressed against each other.

„I like it when you lose control. This reminds me, you are a mech, not a monument. We both are. Alike.”

Whatever Optimus wanted to say, dissolved into static.

It was words, that brought him to overload, exactly like he did with Megatron before. Words on the edge between threats and confessions, glow of red eyes looking straight into his bared face, chest pressed to his chest and the sudden awareness, that their sparks were close now, closer as ever.

He screamed indeed, and he held onto his partner’s arms, fingers denting the metal. He heard laughter above him, Megatron’s satisfaction with the task well performed.

They stayed like this, unable to move, their bodies limp and tired, but it was good, better than Optimus wanted to admit, to have someone like this.

The same thing again: the need to hold the partner close, the stupid sentimentality, a glitch in the processor. Fear, that it won’t happen again, because it has to come to an end.

They lay, too heavy and too tired to change position, their frames still entwined, not connected anymore, but panels still open and touching. This was highly intimate, as was the awareness of each other’s Sparks, as was the position of hands, that made this into an embrace. Megatron’s weight was something Optimus knew too good, they had ended many times like this, during countless fights. But now this weight was not threatening, just pleasant, as was the heat and silent humming of the engines of a mech slowly falling into recharge.

And the silence was not heavy and uncomfortable anymore.

Ho could stay like this. They both could.

“We need to…” Optimus started, a thought forming in his processor.

“We need to recharge. Or am I too heavy for you?” Megatron answered.

“No. It… it is nice…” Optimus stroke the back his partner’s neck, just below the helm’s brink. The answer was a deep, pleased moan. “But I was just thinking we have to learn to talk to each other. “

“We do” Megatron agreed. “But not now.”

“Not now. Someday. In the future.”

This was a promise.

Maybe, maybe there was something Optimus still had to do in this life. Something he still could fix.

  



	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awkward morning after – This is a small ship – Repairs – Optimus thinks he wants to leave – Miko saying goodbyes - Solving problems with hostage exchange, part 2 – I didn’t kill Megatron – Miko’s loyalty – In the end, he will be back

As Optimus awoke from his recharge, there was a face above his face and red eyes looking at him. His frame twitched and he felt battle protocols starting to online one by one. This was stronger than the memory of why they actually ended like this. Megatron’s eyes narrowed suddenly and his hand wrapped at Optimus’ neck, pressing the at the cables like Megatron was going to damage then. Then, as suddenly, Megatron stopped, withdraw his hand and turned his head away – a gesture so unlike him.

„I… apologize. Old habits.”

Optimus’ battle protocols, not fully on, started to shut down. He realized, his hand was still wrapped around Megatron’s back, where it probably was for the entire recharge cycle.

He nodded.

„It was probably a bad idea to recharge like this,” he said.

There was more of bad ideas and bad choices made before.

He let Megatron get up, before they both sat on the couch – on the opposite ends of it, which didn’t help, considering how small it was. They were both messy, with dried out fluids, paint transfers, and those blasted camo nanites, that left green and blue smudges all over their frames, couch and probably the wall.

It felt so good earlier, as they were falling into recharge, too tired to even clean up. It was shockingly intimate and nice. Now they both looked at each other with embarrassment, as if they regretted – the intimacy more than interfacing.

„Look, maybe we…” Megatron started. „We should get cleaned. The blasted nanites are everywhere except our frames.”

This sounded like he wanted to say something entirely else and then changed his mind. Optimus felt a little disappointment.

Megatron folded his field, kept it deliberately close to himself. Like he wanted to withdraw like he regretted what had happened.

All right then. Not that there were any declarations the previous evening.

He was just happy that the washrack wouldn’t fit them both, because that would make him think of missed opportunities.

Last night he said they should learn to talk to each other, but apparently, it was never going to happen. How had Megatron put it when it started? “I will ask only once and then we will never speak of this.” So that’s how it was supposed to be from the very beginning, and everything else, everything that Optimus had seen as a promise, was just an illusion.

He felt a surge of anger. What did he expect? His processor created this weird glitch.

He left quickly, leaving Megatron with his turn in the washrack and his portion of nanites to take care of. Not a word, just a rushed escape that should have happened earlier.

There was one thing he forgot to consider: how small Echo was. Probably all the mecha on the ship knew. Everyone knew – except for the aliens, maybe, because most organic species ignored the fact, that Cybertronians were able to experience intimacy and that what more than one type of interfacing existed – not all of them being “only” the data exchange.

Everyone outside Megatron was present when Optimus entered the wardroom, both Cybertronians, and organics. He felt several pairs of eyes concentrating on him. Shatter grinned.

“Had fun?” she asked. “Have a cube. You have sooo much more energy to replenish than we do.”

Miko, who sat beside her gave out a long, undefined sound before she hid her face in whatever organic nutritional substances she was taking.

Optimus took a place, took a cube. He tried not to avoid Shatter’s eyes, but she only smiled wider.

“Oooh, I see it was good. I’m happy. He wanted this for such a long time, you know…”

All the non-human aliens blinked, unknowing. Miko whined.

“Can you please NOT? I’ don’t want to imagine this.”

Shatter shrugged.

“She asked about the noise you two made, so I gave her a little screws and nuts talk. But I learned humans have a similar function, so I don’t understand…”

“This is not the function!” Miko exclaimed. “This is… you. And him. I don’t want to imagine that.”

The non-human aliens started to whisper among each other.

“Just stop it, Shatter” Optimus asked.

Not only they knew, worse, but they were also making assumptions, that had nothing to do with what really happened.

She looked him straight into the eyes, still grinning.

“No. This is too fun”

Frenzy laughed. Which was good, that he was able to after what he went through. Which was not good, because it was Frenzy and he laughed and that never meant anything good, and he was laughing at something Optimus really wanted to forget happened.

“This goes to my autobiography” Franzy stated. “Care to share the details… Orion?”

“I heard you, Frenzy” Megatron’s warning voice came from the entrance. “Enough of this.”

The aliens blinked, continued to whisper. Optimus hoped, they won’t come to any uncomfortable conclusions. Miko hiding her face in hands was bad enough.

Frenzy curled in his place. Megatron shook his head, sighed and sat down. Now Shatter’s attention turned to him. She kept grinning.

“Congratulations,” she said.

“Shatter!”

She was not Frenzy. She didn’t know Megatron when he was a warlord ready to use violence at his subordinates’ disobedience. She kept grinning.

Megatron just sighed and sat at the table. Shatter handed him the cube, then a second one.

“I don’t need two” he protested.

“You definitely need.”

“Let Rumble and Frenzy share it”

Frenzy looked at Megatron, then at the additional cube, expecting everything, but such generosity.

“Is he changed because they messed with his processor or because he had a good frag?” He asked, “Also, we would like a cube if we can.”

“Take it and shut up,” Megatron growled.

Frenzy took his prize, smiled at Optimus, widely.

“I approve of your relationship. Give him lots of overloads, this seems to make him happy. He was never like this when he used to frag Star…”

“FRENZY!”

Megatron’s voice was so loud and threatening, that all the aliens – Miko included – stiffened, and Optimus received several warnings from his battle protocols.

Megatron blinked, let his eyes dim a little, shook his head.

“I’m sorry if I disturb you,” he said to the aliens. “This… this is a personal matter that shouldn’t be discussed. I’m sorry”

:Frenzy: every mech on the ship received :Don’t exercise my patience. It is still limited and you don’t want to know its limits. Those ARE NOT things that should be discussed with our guests, do you understand that?:

:Frenzy: if continues, will threaten us. Captain Zovvosk already suspicious. Some names should not be spoken right now. Associations: dangerous. Frenzy, Rumble, understand this?:

:Yes, boss!: both twins confirmed.

:This is also to you, Shatter. There is a side of me you don’t want to experience. I also want you not to make assumptions about the nature of what happened, understood?:

Shetter threw them both an angry glance, her field expanding, filled with disappointment.

:Sorry for this: Optimus received on the private channel. :Maybe joining everyone was not such a good idea.:

:They would be the same if we stayed longer in private.: Optimus noted. Or worse, he thought.

:Small ships, small crews. Tell me about that. Lost Light was a gossip melting pot. At least Soundwave will keep his cassettes in check. Swerve would already have told the half of the universe.:

And the half of the universe would start making assumptions, just as Shatter just had.

***

Soundwave listened to the talks in the wardroom carefully. They were amusing, but also provided much information on how the situation developed. The mecha were relaxed enough to joke, despite the tension still existing between Megatron and Optimus – the aliens, on the other hand, kept it between them, looking suspiciously at the Cybertronians, trying to understand the scene.

Miko was, of course, an exception, she knew more than the others, and interacted, despite being disoriented.

She didn’t bother Soundwave. Optimus promised to deal with this problem, and who was Soundwave to don’t believe him after what had happened? Miko was a minor issue. Paradoxically, Shatter was a bigger problem.

So, to Soundwave’s surprise, was what was happening between Megatron and Optimus.

They were still tense, despite they acted upon it during the night cycle. They avoided each other’s eyes. This was not what Soundwave hoped for.

They needed time, he reminded himself.

The next few standard hours were spent on continuing the repairs. Echo drifted, away from the danger of Kashig’s Field, still away from Citrix system, unable to be detected by the Council’s systems. The crew of Steadfast Progress helped, not asking more questions, than necessary.

Soundwave kept observing.

Megatron was silent. He didn’t speak of what happened, keeping his thoughts to himself. Soundwave just brushed them and noticed something sad and bitter, a feeling of loss.

That was not what he wanted.

He wanted his former leader to be free, but also happy.

He followed him, keeping the company, quiet too. Despite Megatron’s rather not pleased mood, he felt good beside him. This was familiar: Megatron had never been the most pleasant company to be with, but Soundwave had always been able to find comfort beside him. His purpose, his stability, his loyalty, his dedication, the meaning of his life.

Things have changed. He learned to live on his own. The attachment, the one of a personal kind, reminded.

He noticed Megatron smiling at him several times, and he answered by extending his field, emitting calmness and joy.

This didn’t solve all of the problems, but was enough, for now.

Some things still had to be dealt with, though.

The repairs went well, better than estimated, the aliens motivated to return, still feeling uncomfortable on board of Cybertronian ship. Veiora was, not surprisingly, the one who was doing the best work and motivated the other members of her former crew. Marissa’s soldier had her own motivation, but worked without issues as well, although Soundwave suspected her performance was affected by minor injuries, on the other hand, he noticed she searched the company of others: Shatter, Optimus, even Soundwave’s symbionts.

On the other hand, Veiora searched for him. This was quite an understandable bonding mechanism, that seemed to work for all sentient beings.

Soundwave didn’t mind Veiora, but neither them nor any other of the aliens was his priority.

On ship as small, as Echo was, it was not easy to arrange a one-on-one meeting so that it looked natural, but Soundwave didn’t aim for this. He just knew he needed to talk to Optimus – who, in turn, wasn’t surprised.

They didn’t have many honest talks, Soundwave remembered. All the time they were too closed and too busy for this and he regretted that. Now was the time to try, at least for Megatron’s sake.

“Query: we had just ended the repairs. We are ready to go. What are your plans now?”

“Do you need to ask me?” Optimus was surprised. “I expected my plans are obvious.

“You are leaving.” Soundwave did his best not to show his surprise. “Query: the reason for this decision?”

He felt Optimus being irritated, although he didn’t show it. Optimus didn’t like the question.

“Mission is accomplished, I did what I was expected to and much more. There is no need for me to remain with you – no matter, how grateful I am for saving me and for the offer of shelter. But there is no place for me among you and you know this, Soundwave.”

“Negative. The offer stands. Support will be provided, as long as you ask for it. I respect you and I appreciate many things you have done, despite I don’t agree with the others” Soundwave continued, changing his speech pattern into a less formal one. “Alliance with you had proven to work multiple times. I’m willing to provide the resources you would need and I don't expect anything in return.”

Optimus frowned, suspicious. He was right – Soundwave wanted something in return, but not for himself and nothing, that would contradict Optimus’ ideals – at least not more, than several things Optimus had already done.

“This is a generous offer, Soundwave. But I’m afraid Megatron won’t appreciate it.”

“Query: did you talk with Megatron?”

Optimus went silent.

Soundwave wanted to laugh and curse at the former leaders’ stubborn stupidity. So, they weren’t too proud to frag, but apparently, they were too proud to discuss it later? Someone should explain to them how those things should work.

He was going to discuss it with Megatron – but Optimus was not his responsibility.

Soundwave nodded.

“Understood,” he said. “Opinion: this doesn’t solve anything. The decision, however, is yours and Megatron’s. If it was mine, I would gladly accept you… as a friend.”

As someone close to someone close to me, he thought.

Optimus was surprised.

“I am honored,” he said, shock, joy, and sadness overcoming his field. “This is not something I’ve ever expected and it means a lot to me if we managed to go so far Soundwave. I regret there was no opportunity to know you better, in other circumstances, maybe, I’d be happy to develop our relationship as a friendship. But I don’t see it be possible now.”

The emotions in him were fighting and Soundwave noticed, that there was hope among them. Optimus hoped this could be true one day, he hoped to one day being able to call Soundwave his friend… and there was also, faint and suppressed, but existing, hope that had something to do with Megatron.

He smiled under his mask, happy to have this advantage over his once-enemy.

“Then I hope we will have an opportunity in the future,” he said.

Optimus just nodded.

“Yes. Yes, of course. Thank you, Soundwave.”

He felt uncomfortable and Soundwave had no reason to push harder. He hoped sooner or later Optimus will rethink the situation. Or that Megatron would have more common sense.

Not that he didn’t understand them. They were stubborn idiots and spending four million years fighting each other was hardly a promising background for a stable relationship. They had their fears and reserves and despite the need, Soundwave saw in both of them, despite all the longing, all the hope, forging something would require much effort. They might have not been ready for this.

Soundwave was going to help it.

No, not that it wouldn’t regret it, not taking the chance himself, while he probably could at least try, but he saw enough to know, what Megatron wanted. And he cared for Megatron too much, he respected Optimus too much. They spent most of their lives defined by each other, unable to look away, obsessed to the point, it couldn’t be called just hate. They overcome this. They deserved at least a try.

“And what do you deserve?” Buzzsaw asked. “Do you not deserve happiness? Do you not deserve at least a try? You have lost so much… You need to get something for you.”

Soundwave smiled to himself, as Optimus left the bridge. He was alone with his winged cassette, the twins still in med bay, Rumble awake again, but weakened, Frenzy not willing to leave his twin for longer, that it was necessary.

He stroked Buzzsaw’s head.

“I have the Sanctuary and a society to build.” He said. “I have research to do and there is a possibility I will need to prepare us for a war against an enemy far more dangerous than everything we faced by now. I have the three of you and you are my family. I saved Megatron and I didn’t lose you. I will be all right. I will be happy.”

“In the end, you will be” Buzzsaw agreed.

***

Miko was the first one to appear in the hanger bay. There were still words she wanted to say before leaving and she didn’t want the aliens to hear them. They were suspicious enough already, despite the fact they were all working with Echo’s crew to get out from the anomaly and then on repairs. This was something Miko had no influence on.

She waited until Optimus appeared, to her relief. If he didn’t come, she would need to search for him, and that might be a little awkward. Especially if she found him together with Megatron…

Well, this was something she still couldn’t get over and would rather not think about. She had joked about keeping crystal gardens together, God damn it!

She jumped off the console she chose to sit on, approached, putting a smile on her face.

“Hi there,” she said, and then waited until Optimus dropped on his knees to be closer to her level. “I’m leaving in a moment. Last opportunity to talk to you. I wanted to use it.” she sighed. “I… wanted but I have no idea what to say, so I might as well give you this.” she handed him the power armor, again folded into a small, round device. “I leave it to you. I kinda like it, but I would have to give it away anyway, so I believe it’s better this way.” She sighed. No more being an unstoppable force, no more of this intoxicating power. She had this little fantasy of using the armor against Megatron, but that was not going to happen. “Just… I hope of all of you you will make something good of this.”

Optimus nodded.

“It should stay with you,” he said. “But I understand. I will find someone who would need it. Thank you.”

The door behind them opened. Fuck. This was too soon, she hoped to steal some time alone.

She wasn’t exactly thinking what she was doing: she just grabbed Optimus’ hand, one of his fingers, to be precise, in something, that vaguely resembled a hug.

“Thank you,” she said. “For saving me. For saving my planet. For… everything. For existing. You are great and never, ever let anyone convince you otherwise, understand? I don’t understand many things, but I trust you.”

She heard steps approaching, rather loud steps, and rose her head. She felt embarrassed, caught like this. On the other hand, this was an opportunity she didn't want to miss.

She let go of Optimus’ hand, stood up, straightened posture, as proud, as she could.

She was not afraid, even when she didn’t have the armor anymore.

But she had done this before: looked Megatron straight into the eyes and survived.

“You are here to say goodbye?” she asked.

“I am here to be sure you are all returning to the station.” she got the answer.

There were many possible things she could say right now, mockery, provocation, bad jokes, threats. She could try. She could even try to complete her mission, although it would probably end with failure.

She frowned.

“I’ll go after you once I hear you did something questionable, do you understand?” she said, not believing she is actually saying it – to Megatron. “I was supposed to kill you. I will if you do something. I have no idea how, but I will find the way.”

The horrible red eyes blinked towards her from above.

“Fair” she heard. “I expect nothing else.”

She swallowed. She did it. She stood up, she threatened a Decepticon warlord and wasn’t killed in the process.

She threw another glance at him and at Optimus. She inhaled slowly. This was not her thing to deal with, in the end, no matter, how weird it was.

“Good luck” she just said.

Good luck it whatever they wanted to do with each other. Except maybe killing.

Then others came. Captain Zovvosk looking suspicious again, Miko doubted they could ever unlearn this. They looked at all the people gathered.

“Shatter will take you back to the station” Optimus stated.

“This was not planned!” the alien captain exclaimed.

Shatter shrugged.

“I cannot recall any of us saying we will turn Echo off its course to get you back. All of us are not needed for this. Don’t worry, I’m going to fulfill the promise you were given.” Shatter smirked and this was the kind of smirk that should bid no good.

“Calm down,” Miko said to the captain. “Now we cannot do anything more than wait and trust her.”

They were displeased, but entered the shuttle, and so did their crew. The shuttle’s door shut, engines roared as it left Echo.

Miko soon noticed that she couldn’t stand the silence that had suddenly befallen them all. She decided to use the last opportunity she had to talk to Shatter.

She knew that the moment was coming when she had to play shocked and betrayed, but for now, she wanted to take some time with Shatter. She climbed on the console and sat on the edge. The shuttle was going mostly on autopilot now.

“Hi.”

“Hi. You know you are going to be a hostage in a moment. I’ll be sending a message to the Citrix Station soon.”

“A new experience in my life” Miko shrugged. “And you are getting your friend back. I regret I won’t have a chance to meet them.”

Shatter laughed.

“Dropkick thinks organics are mostly target practice.”

“Well, you can still give Dropkick my greetings anyway.”

“I’ll tell them not to practice the targeting on you if they meet them in the future. Aaand the message sent.” Shatter smirked. “I’m sorry, human, but it is necessary.” She stood up and turned towards the aliens. “Listen up, I’ve just sent the message to the Citrix Station. They should prepare to retrieve you, at least I hope they will be responsible about this.” there was a hint of threat in her voice. “And we have a little change of plans, for your information. I won’t be delivering you directly to the station, but to the moon base. It should be abandoned by now and watched by your friends from the peacekeeping forces. Captain Zovvosk, I’d like you to send your own message, confirming your designations and that you are unhurt… at least by us. The same goes for you, Miko.”

The captain stood up. Their look was fierce.

“There is something I don’t understand here,” they stated.

“I want to ensure the transfer will be successful and that no one will shoot us down, captain.” Shatter smirked again. “I am returning you unharmed and with crucial information. There is one thing I want in return from the Council and I want to ensure that the exchange will be fair.”

“So we are hostages now?”

“‘Hostages’ is a very strong word, captain, and regarding the fact, we were working together… I would not use it. But if that is what you call it, then, feel free. I don’t care about how the Council sees me. I care about completing my mission. Now, captain, I need the recording.”

“What is what you want from the Council?”

“It’s a private matter and it is not a threat. My friend was imprisoned recently and I want them to be freed.”

“So this is a hostage exchange,” captain Zovvosk said grimly.

Miko shook her head. She decided she won’t be screaming and throwing accusations, but will rather play suspicious and reasonable.

“I second captain Zovvosk,” she said calmly, but she fisted her hands for more effect. “This was not how we agreed.”

“You can always say this is what you get for trusting a Decepticon. So, how would it be?”

“We have more chances if we cooperate. But don’t think the Council will forgive you.” captain Zovvosk said.

They proceeded to record their message, then let Miko do the same.

She hesitated just a moment. She didn’t it to sound like she was scared but also as she cooperated with the “kidnapper”.

“This is Miko Nakadai from United Earth Forces. This message is for the Galactic Council and general Marissa Faireborn. I’m alive, as are four members of the crew of Steadfast Progress. The Cybertronian named Shatter of Iacon will ensure we will be brought alive and unharmed. We also have crucial information concerning Kaschig’s Field. Shooting at the shuttle will cause our death and loss of the information. We want the Council to consider making deal with Shatter of Iacon.”

Shatter was pleased. Miko remained silent for the rest of the journey. She wanted to talk to Shatter a little more, but that would make the aliens suspicious, so she just sat down among them.

They were quite friendly, after all, asking, if she knew before. She denied and looked gloomy. Poor little human who trusted a Decepticon.

This time she could see the surface of the fractured moon up close. It was haunting, the jagged rocks, the now-abandoned base hidden between them. There were two Council ships waiting, each of them roughly the size of Steadfast Progress. Captain Zovvosk recognized them and pointed out who the captains were.

“I’ll call them” Shatter said. “And I want you to talk to them, captain. To ensure the conditions were met and to ensure them that you still are unharmed.”

As the message was being sent, the shuttle made some circles above the moon. Miko noticed the silhouettes of several people below, most of them on the larger side, considering how high the shuttle was. One of them, standing in the middle was blue and had too many elements that would be excessive in a spacesuit, but were absolutely normal on a Transformer.

Miko hid her smile.

The shuttle hanged above and Shatter opened the door. Now Miko could see better: several larger guardians, a blue Cybertronian with their hands in cuffs.

“Shatter of Iacon” they all heard. “Release the hostages.”

“They are not hostages, but as you wish” Shatter answered. “Release my friend!”.

One of the aliens took the cuffs of Dropkick.

Miko was a little nervous. What if someone believes this would be a good moment to deceive a Decepticon? But captain Zovvosk was convincing enough – and Dropkick not important enough.

She jumped down, and so did her companions, while Dropkick went the opposite side, to their friend waiting.

Miko wanted to call Shatter, to wish her good luck, but this would be too much. So she just went towards her people, hoping Shatter knows what this little organic wanted to tell her.

***

The journey to the Citrix station was short. Miko was relieved it was over, although she had still seen the situation as surreal. She expected she won’t see it in another way, never.

If she had told the truth to anyone – no one would believe her. Maybe Sari. Sari was, in fact, the only person Miko wanted and was going to to tell everything.

The crew of the ship talked, they asked questions, but not excessively: the survivors were, in fact, to be questioned once on the station. Miko asked of the news and she heard them, she heard the information she was hoping for: Megatron was allegedly dead.

“How?” she asked.

All the aliens from Steadfast Progress were listening, all of them shocked by the news.

“Someone planted a device outside the cell” they were informed. “During the attack. It caused a targeted explosion in the reactor. Complete destruction of what they call “the Spark”, the complete destruction of the body. Nothing was left.”

Captain Zovvosk looked at Miko suspiciously.

“You were outside during the attack,” they said, having enough common sense to keep it private.

“Are you suggesting anything, captain?”

“I think you are hiding something, Miko Nakadai.”

“You want to know if I killed Megatron?” she asked. “That would be something, wouldn’t it? I’d be a hero…” Oh, how easily could she now claim the deed and become famous, loved and hated? A little human who obliterated the famous villain.

This was not what she wanted, and besides that would be the lie too far gone.

“I did not kill him” she stated. “Oh, I wish it was me, but no.”

“You still are hiding something and they will ask you about why you were outside,” captain Zovvosk said.

“I am aware. And as for hiding… There are things that are classified and that I am not allowed to tell you, captain, nor to the Council itself, without the permission from my superior officer. Earth is not under Galactic Council’s jurisdiction and I report directly to general Marissa Faireborn. Until I speak with her, this is everything you are going to hear from me, captain.” Miko exhaled and then, feeling courageous, she added: “I suggest to do the same thing regarding the fact you were shooting at Echo while we were trying to contact you. And regarding the role of your first officer.”

She noticed the alien’s expression shifting to shock.

“Are you trying to threaten me, Miko Nakadai?”

“Captain Zovvosk, I hoped we had left all the paranoia inside Kashig’s Field. We had gone through it all together, we are allies: at least that’s what I believed in. Was I wrong?”

“No, Miko Nakadai. I’m sorry, you are right: the excessive paranoia destroyed my ship and killed my crew, I cannot allow it to go farther.”

As she was left alone for the last minutes of the journey, Miko pressed her head to the cold window, watching the station closing in.

“What have I done...” she said to her reflection, trying to find if her other self she saw inside the anomaly was somewhere there.

There was no going back.

***

Miko got her chance to wash herself, with ultrasonic shower, not with real water, but she felt better after that. She got food, that was better than universal nutrition bars from Steadfast Progress and she got a can of coke.

What she didn’t get was rest, but she didn’t expect to get it just right now. She took a shower, ate her meal, drank her coke, let the doctor see to her injuries. General Faireborn was watching all the time. She greeted Miko with a smile, which meant the situation was good, at least for now. She asked about major Pretorius, but Miko shook her head. And as the general determined Miko’s health is stable, she invited the young woman to her temporary office.

This was what Miko was waiting for. She wanted it to be over as soon as possible.

“You can sit down, cadet” Marissa Faireborn said, as they were alone

She listened.

“Excellent job, cadet,” the general said. “You did well.”

“Thank you, ma'am, but the credit doesn’t go to me.”

“Major Pretorius then? I presume he is MIA or dead since he didn’t return with you.”

Miko nodded.

“Yes, ma'am, you can say it. And that’s where this is getting a little more complicated and I’m glad I can speak with you before being interrogated by the Council officials. I need you to decide, which information concerning the involvement of the person known as “major Oluwasegun Pretorius” will remain classified.”

She saw general Faireborn raising her eyebrows.

“Known as?”

“Ma’am, not to disregard your authority and competence, but you have been de… fooled. I believe the files of major Pretorius must have been close to perfect, but if I may suggest a thorough investigation once we return… It seems major Pretorius either never existed, or his identity was stolen.” She paused, but the general just nodded slowly, so Miko continued: “It was a Cybertronian using a holomatter technology, more advanced than what I’ve known from the training. It, of course, explains a lot, I noticed several weird things about major Pretorius over time, and the reveal explained to them. I’ll write it all down in the report. Anyway, I was knocked out of the station during the attack and it was major Pretorius who activated the device before he disappeared… But it was also him, who saved me.”

The general frowned.

“This is disturbing but, at the same time, convenient… This would keep our hands clean during the investigation and I might be able to convince the Council that you just discovered the assassination plot… Considering the fact, that Megatron’s death is convenient for most of the interested parties, the investigation won’t be as thorough as it could be in other circumstances… Although I’d like to know the identity of the person who pretended to be one of my soldiers.”

“He introduced himself as Orion Pax,” Miko said.

As she expected, the general made a surprised noise.

“What?!”

She did recognize the name, but she would learn it anyway, from captain Zovvosk’s reports.

“You know him, ma'am?”

“I’ve met a Cybertronian who once used this name.” the general confirmed “But he was known under another designation. He probably would return to the old one if… but he is dead.”

“Is it possible that someone was using his designation as a cover then?” Miko asked innocently.

“This would be a tasteless joke. Or some kind of statement. Cadet, I believe you have no idea who the Cybertronian who was once named Orion Pax was?”

Miko shook her head.

“No, ma'am.”

“It was Optimus Prime.”

Miko did her best to looked shocked and apparently it worked.

“This is… Ma’am, with all due respect, I’d recognize him if I saw him, everyone on Earth knows how Optimus Prime looks like!”

“That’s why I believe you were given yet another false name…” the general intertwined her fingers under her chin. “A statement, I believe, considering the fact Megatron was the target. Any more information on the mech?”

“A neutral, I guess? But I’m not sure, that a neutral would be interested in killing Megatron. I rather think he must have been an Autobot. A bigger one, I have no idea about his vehicle mode, but he had wheels. Green and white paint, with some ornaments. The other were Decepticons, another neutral and one Autobot. I’ll put the details in the report, I don’t have any images, unfortunately, they could be more helpful than the sole designations, but one of the Decepticons was, in fact, a member of former command, Soundwave. And you care for my opinion, ma’am, this makes the situation even weirder.”

The general frowned.

“Yes or no, considering the alliances Soundwave made after the war. He might have had an interest in Megatron’s death. Thank you, cadet. The information you provided is indeed important. Officially, you just discovered the assassination plot. When the blame falls on Cybertronians, this will be easier for us, and no one will search the responsible party for longer than demanded by procedures. You did great.”

Miko smiled.

She did great, indeed, in many ways – while doing some horrible things at the same time. There was no simple solution in this situation, it seemed.

“There is more, general, but the information about what we had found inside Kaschig’s Field will be known to the entire Council. I believe every interested party should know this. It could be a danger to every sentient life in the galaxy.”

She told shortly about the chase and about the structure they had found, about Steadfast Progress’ destruction and the Watcher. She promised to include it all in the report.

This was going to be the longest report in her life. It was also going to be her last.

***

Echo had suddenly got quiet. Shatter was still on her way, the aliens left. Even the twins remained calm. Soundwave would think of this state as of something bad if it wasn’t for Megatron’s presence. He made it. He saved his former leader, then made it out of the anomaly. What more did he need?

Shatter returned finally, together with Dropkick, who was mostly unscratched. Flatline saw to them, frowned several times.

“Few minor circuits fried,” he stated. “This probably will regenerate in time, but as we reach the Sanctuary, I’ll perform more tests.

Dropkick grinned.

“I fell on an electric grid during the fight,” they stated. Then they looked at all the mecha gathered around them. “Glad to see you,” they said to Megatron, who also smiled, nodded and just shook Dropkick’s hand.

No more questioning motives. He just accepted, what happened.

Dropkick was questioned on the station, as they explained to everyone. Nothing serious, though. They were ready for torture or even mnemosurgery, yes, they were aware that the organics didn’t use the last mean, but they had known too well the wide array of interrogation techniques used by their own race. They had been caught, imprisoned and interrogated before, in much less pleasant circumstances. The Council’s security officers didn’t seem to know what to do with a captured Cybertronian. They asked questions and Dropkick answered in the simplest way: by repeating their designation and other personal data.

“They must have been confused,” Dropkick said. “Because I just kept saying I’m from Primax. On the other hand, they probably have no idea where Primax is, and what it is called now.”

They grinned. Shatter just hugged them.

This wasn’t a level of public affection common in Decepticon officer ranks during the war, Soundwave had thought.

Neither was the way Shatter was talking to Megatron and Soundwave’s protocols kept telling him this will end with a disaster. It didn’t.

Shatter explained that she left the aliens unharmed, then escaped as fast as she could.

“They will search for me,” she said. “For us.”

Soundwave knew, but he had a plan already.

Then Shatter aksed for Optimus.

“Where the scrap is he?”

There was silence before Frenzy spoke.

“Just went. Someone wasn’t able to keep him.

Shatter threw Megatron another inappropriate glance.

“How did it happen?” she demanded.

Megatron just shrugged.

“Would you want me to keep him with force?” he asked.

“Yes, as a matter of fact, I wouldn’t mind. I had thought it was good” she was visibly disappointed. “Damn, Megs, what happened?”

This time Megatron’s patience worn off. His eyes glowed, field flared with anger.

“That is enough!” he shouted.

Shatter backed off, surprised. She was silent for a moment, then she just nodded.

“Ok. I won’t talk about this again.”

She didn’t hide her disappointment though. She was thinking of Orion, of love poetry and of many things she had seen during Megatron’s time in the parallel universe.

She indeed stopped to talk about it, instead of trying to drag Megatron into discussing the current politics and what he thought should be done with both what was left of Decepticons and the officially disbanded resistance. Soundwave participated in most of those talks, even if “participated” was a bit too much, because he was mainly listening, when Shatter threw options and ideas, asking Megatron what he thinks about it. Megatron, on the other hand, insisted he is done with politics, every involvement would mean coming out of hiding, and therefore undermining everything and endangering Cybertron. He insisted Shatter should find her own way, maybe with Soundwave’s help, but when pressed he started to discuss her ideas and giving her new ones.

This was something and Soundwave was happy it seemed to lead to something – yet his former leader remained restless. After they returned to the Sanctuary, Soundwave found him one night cycle, sitting alone in the large social room. Outside the large window Earth was a dark circle on a starry night, inside the room the lights were dimmed out and Megatron just sat there, holding datapad containing whatever he had been reading – or rather writing, as Soundwave suspected in one hand, staring outside, emotions and thoughts a dark cloud around his dark silhouette.

Soundwave felt sadness, regret and longing and an overwhelming feeling of loneliness. He also noticed streaks of suppressed desire: Megatron was thinking of many things, but also of Optimus.

For a moment Soundwave wasn’t sure if he should go or stay, too many conflicted feelings in his former leader’s field, need for company and need for being alone at the same time. Then Megatron just turned his head and Soundwave saw his shining eyes and felt a little of joy appearing in this chaos of broody thoughts.

He approached and sat down, in silence.

“I wanted to conquer it,” Megatron said, eyes focused on Earth again. “Where would I be, if I managed to do it?”

“Not here.”

Megatron nodded.

“That for sure. Not here. All of those would never happen and we would probably all be dead. In the end, I did many things I regret, but I don’t regret my life. I don’t regret being here.”

He went silent again, then he looked at Soundwave.

“I’m really glad you are not commenting,” he said.

“On what?” Soundwave asked.

“Optimus.”

“I don’t feel I need to comment on the situation. You don’t want me to. Shatter tried and you needed to silence her. I am not Shatter.”

“No.” Megatron agreed. “You hadn’t seen what she had. She misunderstood it. I don’t blame. I misunderstood it too.”

Again, regret. He might have been talking of not regretting, but he regretted more than he would like. Longing returned and with it something bitter.

“You are reading me, Soundwave.”

“Yes,” Soundwave nodded.

“So you know I… it’s...”

Not enough words. Fear. Fear of saying something that could be too much.

“You are afraid,” Soundwave noted. “You were afraid earlier and that’s why you allowed Optimus to go. You wanted to talk to him, but you got scared.”

Megatron nodded slowly.

“Maybe that’s for the better. It wouldn’t work.”

“But you regret not trying.”

There was no verbal answer but Soundwave knew how would it sound.

“You are aware he thinks the same?” he asked.

Megatron laughed shortly.

“That doesn’t help. We cannot...” a longer pause for finding words, multiple possibilities crossing Megatron’s mind. “...sit and talk, when we are both too scared.

“Yet you are sitting here with me and talking.”

“You are...” again, possibilities, thoughts, emotions, trust filling Megatrons field, calm, reassuring trust, that made Soundwave feel good, that made Soundwave happy. “...a friend.”

A friend was more than everything they have before.

A friend. Someone close to me. Someone I can trust. Someone I care for. I’m happy to have you. I’m happy you are here. I underestimated you, your feelings. I took you for granted and never really thought of what I meant to you and of what you meant to me.

Soundwave smiled.

“Optimus has friends too.” he reminded.

“And I hope he will be happy with them.”

“I wanted rather say, he will talk to them, once he decides to contact them. And some of them are now your friends too. He will talk about you. And in the end, he will come here.”

Megatron laughed.

“This is not going to happen.”

“It will happen,” Soundwave said, shaking his head. “And If it doesn’t maybe you should search for him.”

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What, they are idiots. Shatter is disappointed too.
> 
> An additional scene for this chapter posted as a separate text.
> 
> There will be two chapters on Monday.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New Cybertron is a mess – Ratchet (and his conjunx) – Ratchet doesn’t take this slag – Horrible state of Cybertronian mental health care – Back to the Sanctuary – Talk first, other things later – We will work it out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is one of my favorites. It also is NSFW towards the end.

Visiting New Cybertron was like a journey into the past. A vibrant, alive planet, highly populated, untouched by war. At first, it seemed identical, then small differences became more and more visible.

Buildings, that were never there before. Double names of the streets. Mecha with untypical frametypes. So many Empurata victims, it invoked instant anger.

This was another planet, brought from a parallel universe, and not the Cybertron Optimus knew from before the war. This planet had never experienced the destructive civil war, was not burned out, had never died, had never been destroyed.

Its people had experienced something as bad: as if there was never a perfect choice in any universe: as if whatever had been done, it would lead Cybertron towards the inevitable disaster.

Could there be a path that had been overlooked, a path that leads neither to destruction nor to the totalitarian regime?

Yes, something hopeful suggested, there was a path, but it was never used.

No, the resigned part said, it was never used because it was never seen as a possibility. Everything was too tangled then and the catastrophe was inevitable. There was no peaceful solution, there was no possibility for slow transformation, the revolution was the only real solution and every revolution, no matter, how needed, ends with bloodshed.

This thought was overwhelming and Optimus once again though, that he would rather be dead, than felt like this: like everything he had ever done was, in a larger scope, a disaster, like he caused far more damage, than prevented.

He suppressed the thoughts of what he could have done because they led to thoughts about something that happened recently, thoughts about this moment when he maybe was not happy, but at least pleased and relaxed enough to forget about the awaiting emptiness. And thinking of this moment caused waves of regret, and regret wasn’t something he wanted.

But there was no way he didn’t regret.

He regretted his failures, he regretted things he overlooked, he regretted his own involvement in causing the war, he regretted something he almost had but let slip away.

No, “had” was not a right word, he might have said the word “mine” in a moment of passion, but he would never own someone like this and he would never think he could really own Megatron.

Or to build something with him, if they ever had any chance, they never found it before it was already buried millennia ago.

Everything he touched turned to dust eventually. Every moment of peace he had come to an inevitable end.

Miko was right when she said he was depressed. This felt like spiraling downwards.

He was relieved when he finally approached the right house. It rather stand out, with the sign informing of a private clinic – Ratchet would offline first before he had ever stopped working – and with an unusual combination of colors used for the facade, some spectralist thing, that Optimus not fully understood. The colors were chosen to invoke particular meaning and feelings and it had to be Ratchet’s conjunx who made this.

Downstairs there was a reception, an unknown neutral minibot – one of the locals judging from the frametype – occupying the seat. He stood up and glanced at Optimus.

What he saw was a combination of camouflage nanites and portable holoprojector that changed the perceived frameshape. Some unknown large mech with a hauler-type alt-mode, no battle mods, the shape close to what Optimus wanted to achieve – he needed to modify his frame badly if he wanted to remain unnoticed.

“Hello. Do you have an appointment?” the receptionist asked.

He was friendly and was smiling, and yet something in his voice was too overly polite.

“No. I’m here to visit Ratchet. I’m a friend.”

“You need to wait then, he is working for some more time.”

“Of course, if you don’t mind me waiting here.”

The receptionist nodded.

The place was nice, the choice of colors calming. There must have been something in spectralist beliefs, that worked: if it didn’t, Ratchet would never allow recoloring his clinic.

The place looked like an upgraded, cleaner and prettier version of the clinic Ratchet once had in Rodion. Despite the looks, Optimus would be surprised, if it didn’t provide medical help to the poor and underprivileged.

At the moment the clinic was fairly empty, it was towards the end of the day-cycle and it must have been one of the calmer days. While Optimus waited, two mecha came in, one of them wearing medic colors, the other quite the contrary – discolored in a way that indicated some kind of sickness. The receptionist kept taking some notes, then read something from the pad. Several times he tried to ask Optimus of the current politics – Optimus just shrugged. He had not much idea, what was happening, except the rumors of Megatron’s death, but this was not the topic he wanted to discuss – especially considering the fact the receptionist was probably a local mech.

Finally, the door to farther parts of the clinic opened and Optimus heard voices – including Ratchet’s.

“...Just remember to let me know if something changes.”

“I will” the other voice answered. “But I really don’t think it is necessary. I can handle this.”

“This is a serious illness and I have more practice.”

“We have no confirmation it’s this particular illness” the other medic protested. “I will monitor him. And I will continue to perform the necessary tests. And I will inform you when something changes. Please, Ratchet, go before your conjunx comes down to drag you from here.”

Optimus shook his head. Ratchet would never change.

While they were discussing the case, the third medic left, nodded towards Optimus and leaned against the counter, smiling toward the receptionist and asking, if said receptionist had done everything and is ready to leave.

Then Ratchet entered the waiting room, cleaning his exceptionally shiny, apparently new hands.

“You have another patient!” he shouted towards the medic that left for the late shift.

Optimus stood up.

“Actually...” he started.

“He came to visit you.” the receptionist said.

“Well, then he has to come tomorrow because I promised Drift to come home early today.”

Then he looked towards his guest, narrowed his eyes and tilted his head.

“Do I know you?” he asked.

“Yes. We are… were… are friends.”

Ratchet’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Fraging impossible!” he exclaimed.

Optimus nodded.

“That would be exactly what I would call it, Ratchet.”

“And yet here you are. Well, I had seen enough of impossible in my long life, and this, this is so very you. Come.”

The receptionist and the other medic had trowed them long glances, as they left towards the stairs leading to upper condignation.

Ratchet’s field was full of anger mixed with happiness. So Optimus was not surprised, as his friend let the emotions out once the door to the living section of the building closed behind them.

“Just how long are you alive!?” Ratchet shouted.

“Not for long. I… I understand you are mad at me, but I came to you as soon as I could. We need to talk about so many things I don’t even have an idea where should I start.”

Ratchet sighed.

“Let’s start with informing Drift our evening plans just got canceled. Did you had mods and repaint, or is this camo? The colors are weird on you.”

Optimus turned off the holographic layer.

“This is temporary. I will need the mods, but I didn’t have time for this… I wanted to see you first.”

Ratchet believed. The anger remained, but he approached for a hug. This was how Drift found them.

***

Drift was slightly, just slightly more surprised than Ratchet.

“He said he expects you to come back from the dead”. He stated. “If not for Megatron’s trial, then for our ceremony. But since you didn’t appear, we just accepted the fact that this time you are truly dead.

Optimus shook his head. He felt guilt and regret. If it happened earlier, then everything would look differently.

“I was found not very long ago, in one of the anomalies that were created when Unicron was destroyed. But I have no idea, how long I stayed there. I was damaged and barely alive, so I could as well die once again, for good this time, if Soundwave hadn’t found me.”

“Soundwave?” Ratchet’s brow ridge rose in suspicion.

Optimus nodded. This was not something he was going to hide, not from Ratchet, who already had known about what really happened to Megatron.

“I worked with him on… his plan.”

Ratchet tried to make a displeased expression, which didn’t work very well, considering how his field flared with what could be called satisfaction.

“We succeded” Optimus added.

“I would very like to be angry with that.” Ratchet stated.

“But you are not.”

“If this is ever discovered, the Galactic Council will be all over us. This breaks the treaty we made with them… by “we” I mean our race because I definitely did not make those arrangements."

“I don’t expect you.”

Ratchet smiled.

“Well, to be honest, this is still better than what the fraggers did to him. When Flatline sent me the files, I was appalled. This was unnecessary cruelty, torture, and sloppy, unskilled work. I think they did it on purpose, they wanted to be cruel, they wanted to do it without any proper consultation with our medic. Because the only medic I know who would help to do something like this was Pharma, and he is, luckily, dead. So, care to tell me, what happened, exactly?”

Optimus told him. Both Ratchet and Drift sat and listened, sometimes asking additional questions.

Optimus explained most of what happened. What he omitted, was the moment of intimacy he and Megatron shared. This was his regret and his pain, although not thinking about it was difficult, especially seeing Drift’s fingers brushing against Ratchet’s shiny new hands.

Oh, he was happy for his friend’s happiness. He was happy for the happiness of everyone, who was lucky to have it.

Only happiness was not something that was ever to happen to him.

“So, what are your plans now?” Ratchet asked in the end.

“I don’t know” Optimus admitted. “I wanted to see you first, talk to you, and then think.”

Ratchet shook his head.

“So, let put it this way: what is Megatron planing?”

Optimus stared at his friend in shock, that those words were even spoken.

“Why do you think this should be my concern?” he asked finally.

Ratchet laughed.

“May I remind you, that what Megatron is planing is your concern by default?”

“Not anymore. I trust him on his change of Spark and I believe it will be the best for both of us to never see each other again.”

“Well, I disagree.”

Optimus felt anger.

Ratchet was looking straight into his eyes, like he tried to look inside his Spark, to read all those feelings of loss, loneliness, regret, lost hope, failed affection.

“I talked with Megatron before they took him to Garrus-10.” Ratchet continued. “I talked to him about you. He was crushed with the news of your death. It was like he never imagined life without you. And, yes, you are going to remind me that he tried to kill you many times, but I’d emphasize “tried”, I believe he would lose a lot of his purpose with you dead. He didn’t tell me this outright, but I had this impression that he hoped to meet you, to rebuilt your relationships. I’m actually surprised he didn’t tell you that.”

“He did not” Optimus felt anger flaring again, the familiar one, with Megatron as its object.

Primus, what was going on here?

We have to learn to talk to each other.

We do. But not now.

Not now. Someday. In the future.

Megatron didn’t laugh at him for this foolish words. He just smiled then and let Optimus hold him before falling into recharge.

“Idiot.” Ratchet snorted.

“Yes, he is.” Optimus agreed.

“I mean you. You are the idiot. Have you ever tried to just talk to him?”

“He didn’t look like he wanted to.”

“No, I mean, did you came to him and said ‘Megatron, let us sit down and talk like responsible mecha.’?”

This talk was going into a very dangerous direction. Optimus wanted out of it, instantly.

“I did.”

“And? Did he said ‘No, Optimus, I’m a stubborn idiot and I don’t want to talk to you, ever’?”

“No. We… tried.”

“And?”

Optimus was silent. Beside Ratchet his conjunx sat patiently, almost amused.

“And?” Ratchet repeated.

“It ended...”

“Not with you killing each other, I guess.”

“No. But we are unable to talk. It works better when we… do things instead.”

Ratchet’s brow ridge rose even higher, dragging the finials on his helm with it. His field was a mixture of amused and irritated.

“What ‘things’? Do you by any chance mean kallian chess, because I don’t think you do.”

“No, we...”

“You want to say you fragged.”

Optimus remained silent, guilt overflowing his field. He didn’t even have the motivation to hide it.

Drift chuckled.

“Why am I not surprised at all...” Ratchet shook his head. “Let me guess what happened. You interfaced instead of having a talk because you both believed this will be easier, and when it didn’t miraculously solve your problems, you both just run away. Which is the most stupid, most immature reaction I’ve ever seen, but at the same time I finally fully understand, why you have never thought of just sitting down and negotiating peace? Because you both are fragging idiots! And mind you, I know what an idiot is, I’ve spent several years with Rodimus as my captain: but this beats every stupid thing he had EVER done. Just great. You had just made assumptions and went separate ways.”

“Provided you are right… what do you think would happen if we sat down and talked… let’s say… after?”

Ratchet shrugged.

“I don’t know. Maybe you do?”

Optimus sighed.

Primus damn it.

There were so many signals from the beginning. Megatron, who went for mocking and provoking, until he was not. Shatter who grinned like she knew something. Megatron admitting his feelings for the alternate universe Orion Pax… and then saying he could never do anything with those feelings because that other Orion Pax wasn’t… wasn’t…

He groaned and hid face in his hands.

“Are you ok?” Ratchet asked, genuinely concerned.

“As much, as I can be, yes. You are right. I am an idiot.”

Ratchet just smiled, leaned across the table, to put his hand on Optimus’ shoulder.

“It’s ok. You know it now, you will do something about it. You will decide what will that be.”

They remained awake late in the night, kept talking: of everything they missed from each other’s lives, not from just the last three years, but also a few years before, when Ratchet was on Lost Light, while Optimus struggled with the aftermath of war. They discussed current politics, the fate of mutual friends, the culture and society of Cybertronian diaspora on Earth and of New Cybertron.

Drift was pleasant to listen, reasonable, radiating calm, peaceful aura from his field. With him, Ratchet seemed to loose at least a thousand years, like the conjunx bond gave him a new life. Drift was also deeply spiritual, but not imposing his beliefs on others – even the way he influenced the decoration of both clinic and apartment was not too brazen. As Optimus learned, the harmony invoked by spectralist design had a soothing effect on many patients – this worked miracles for those who not so long ago belonged to the lowest castes of functionist society. They needed complex help, their frames were often badly damaged and never healed, their health neglected. They were often post-Empurata and suffered from neural degradation. And, last but not least, they often suffered from mental illnesses and traumas. Spirituality was not a cure for these problems, but a good mean of coping.

“We probably are the most messed up society in the galaxy.” Ratchet admitted. “The war trauma, and now this. And I cannot tell what is worse.”

Optimus sighed.

“Miko, the human I met during Soundwave’s operation, suspects I am depressed. I think she might be right. So even I am not free from those sicknesses of Spark.”

Ratchet listened, nodded.

“Rung would help you, but he is dead. We lost the most competent psychiatrist our race ever had. There are some therapists from colonies though. There is this Camien professor, Clain, she is working on New Cybertron now, teaching new generation and anyone willing to learn. I will talk to her and ask her. I will not leave you alone with this.”

This was a relief. Even now, even after all those failures, Optimus still had someone he could lean on, someone willing to help him.

***

Returning to Soundwave’s Sanctuary was harder, than Optimus expected, dark thoughts and fears chasing him on the way. What if that was one of the worst decisions of his entire life that would cost not only his life but also the lives of many other sentient beings? What if he got too trusting and was now going into a trap?

But it was Ratchet who advised him to do it and Optimus remembered, that Soundwave had proven to be trustworthy, to keep his promises and not searching destruction.

But it was not Soundwave who was his problem and who occupied his processor.

He sent the message to the station. The answer was quick.

:Well, see who’s here!: he heard Shatter’s amused voice over the commline. :Rumble and Frenzy owe me shanix! Welcome back, I’ll open the hanger bay for you, and inform everyone who might be interested or waiting for you.:

Waiting for him. Decepticons waiting for him – not to kill him, but as for a friend returning. New development. All categories mixed up.

He landed the shuttle next to Echo itself and took off, searching for some welcoming committee: it would be easy if there were more people to greet him, but of course he wasn’t getting this privilege.

Seeing Megatron coming towards him invoked memories of many, many different situations, most of them unpleasant.

They looked at each other in silence, for a long while.

“So. Soundwave was right.” Megatron said finally.

“About?”

“You coming back here.”

Optimus suppressed a sigh. Soundwave. Soundwave had seen through him. And so, apparently did Shatter.

“I needed to… make things right. Explain some things to you. I told we need to learn to talk to each other, then I ran away before we had the chance.”

Megatron nodded.

“We both ran away. I didn’t intend to do it like this, only...”

Optimus approached, close enough for their fields to brush against each other. He felt embarrassment and longing – so close to what he felt right now.

“I didn’t intend it to. Actually, I hoped, that...”

Again: too little words, too much deep-rooted fears. You don’t open like this to your enemy.

You don’t want to open to your enemy.

He hesitated, and of course, Megatron used this: he grabbed Optimus by his arms and pulled. There was a brief moment of battle protocols trying to online again, before Optimus’ processor fully understood it was a different kind of attack.

The kiss was, of course, aggressive and fierce, possessive and intoxicating. It lasted and lasted and Optimus felt his frame getting warmer and warmer.

This was a bad, bad idea. They were to sit down and finally talk, not making the same mistake again.

They broke the kiss. Megatron smiled.

“I’m going to ride you into the berth,” he said, his eyes deep scarlet, his field heavy with desire.

Optimus’ fans onlined at this promise.

Despite this, he pushed Megatron away.

“No” he protested.

Red eyes blinked in surprise.

“All right? I mean, if you don’t want it, then...”

“I want it” Optimus admitted “But we need to talk first. Make arrangements to make it work. To make us work, Then you can do everything you want to me.”

“I wanted to get you satisfied and relaxed before we talked. It had almost worked last time.”

“Emphasis on ‘almost’. No. We are talking first, interfacing later. We are going to make it a negotiation.”

Megatron laughed.

“We were never good at negotiating with each other” he reminded.

“But we proved to be quite good at cooperating towards a mutual goal. Think of it like this. We don’t want opposite things. We want roughly the same, we just have no idea how to make it work. Let us find the solution and get our pleasure as a reward.”

Megatron nodded, and the smile on his face was soft now and it made Optimus wanting to kiss him again, tenderly and slowly now. He didn’t do it, knowing, this will ruin his plan.

“You had convinced me. Come.”

The crystal garden was as broken, as Optimus remembered it and this was like a metaphor: something broken, but still beautiful, still not entirely lost. Something that could still be rebuilt.

This was the room, where he first met Shatter - where she got angry at him when he doubted her intentions. But she was right then. And she was probably right all the time when she waited…

He was not doing it to make Shatter happy.

This time the couch was big enough to comfortably sit on the opposite sides, but they didn’t do it to avoid each other now. Well, somehow they did. Optimus feared that every even slightest touch would ruin the conversation: the waves of desire came and went and he had to manually close the subsystems demanding attention.

Being ridden into berth was out of the question. He knew, that once they finished talking, they will not have enough willpower to move to the other location.

The sole thought made him shiver.

No. Conversation. Arrangements.

So difficult with Megatron’s eyes staring from the other side.

“I need us to declare what we want, first. What we want for now, because this can change over time” Optimus stated.

Megatron sighed, this terrible, overwhelming desire fading from his field, but not disappearing completely.

“I don’t know if I can put in in words” he admitted. Then he laughed shortly. “Yes, I know, I’m a poet, I should be good with words, but I’m too scared. I don’t want to mess it up.”

“We had already messed up everything we could. What could be worse than that?”

“Not being able to fix it? Yes, I know, not trying would mean failing. But it would be worse. Hating you was so easy, but I can not return to it. And going further? Even now I still think of it as of something impossible. This cannot happen, this cannot work, not because I would do something… something stupid, but because it’s simply impossible. I have told you of Orion, of why I wanted him and why I didn’t nothing about this: and when after this you went away, I thought…”

“I run away because I am an idiot and because I was scared.” Optimus interrupted.

“I guessed, but that was later. Soundwave helped me to understand this. I wouldn’t go after you, though. For… many reasons.”

Megatron went silent for a moment, then he continued:

“Listen, I want you. I want you so much, it almost physically hurts, and it scares me and it is even stronger after the last time, although I hoped it will be better. I don’t want to sound like I was...” he paused for a moment, guilt filling his field along with desire. “I want you and I need you, but I’m not going to try to force you to anything, I wouldn’t be able to do it anyway. That is the point, I guess, you were always equal to me in power, in the will, in everything.” He went silent again. “This is hard for me. Not only admitting it but even feeling this. I guess you understand that. But if you are willing, I want to give it a chance.”

He stopped. Optimus waited for a long while, but apparently, this was over – for now – on Megatron’s side. Now it was his turn.

This was hard, but there was no turning back, not now.

“When… during your first trial, I knew your death would be the best solution” Optimus started. “But I didn’t want that. I was relieved when you suggested sending you off. I hoped you would die on the way and I wouldn’t have to sentence you… I hoped, although I didn’t really believe the myth to be true, the Knights of Cybertron exist and they will find another way to solve this. The world without you would be empty.” He shook his head. The world was empty already, no point in making it worse. “And then I had never seen you again… I thought what would I do if I was present at your second trial… I don’t know, I really don’t and somehow I’m glad I wasn’t there? I would either accept everything that happened or risk the peace with Galactic Council, for you.” Optimus turned his head when he saw Megatron satisfied smile. Was that just his imagination, or was Megatron actually sitting a little closer now? “I’m impressed by what you have done. I never expected so much change. And it is a terrible irony, that you used this chance in the best way possible, while I kept making mistake after mistake. I regret. I regret things I’ve done and those I didn’t even have a chance to do it. I regret not working with you at the beginning, letting you fall, not reaching out for you, because there probably was at least one chance, and I was impressed with you then and maybe, maybe I had a crush, but this was too long ago to remember it clearly now without accessing the deep memory. I regret all the opportunities I might have missed, even if they had never existed. I regret being responsible for the war, because yes, I was, as much as you were. I regret… I regret everything in my life and I am aware this is not healthy. But after I lost the Matrix I lost the guidance, and I started to get more and more lost myself, and I couldn’t see any way out. And then, I died and this was...” he shook his head. “I had no more regrets, I was at peace, my life came to its conclusion, I fulfilled my purpose, I saved countless lives with my sacrifice. There was… The emptiness swallowed my body, but my Spark was not empty and I was happy. And then I was alive again, but empty. I lost my purpose, I lost the meaning, my sacrifice didn’t matter anymore, everything that remained was emptiness, loneliness, and regret… Megatron?”

He stopped, because his former enemy somehow closed the distance and now the red eyes were so close and their fields overlapped, Megatron’s filled with concern.

“May I?” Megatron asked, extending his arm.

Optimus nodded, the situation was already too absurd to protest.

And then he was in a powerful but surprisingly tender embrace, surrounded by the feeling of comfort underlined with muted streaks of desire.

He melted to it, against all better judgment.

“We will work it out” he heard, low, pleasant voice, without even a hint of threat. Was this really Megatron speaking? “I want it. Worst case scenario, we will kill each other, but I think it will not happen. I’ve already rerooted some subroutines, so I wouldn’t hurt Orion… This will work for you too.”

“You are not a solution to my feeling of emptiness.”

“I know. You are not a solution to my fears. We will make it work. We will try.

They stayed like this for a long while, it was warm and good, and their fields mixed, both calm and reassuring. Like they were completely different people.

They were. They came so very far, changed many times, made things they regretted. This might have been a proper closure.

Or a beginning.

Optimus felt the warmth of other mech’s body, silent humm of the engine vibrating deep inside the plating, a hand stroking his back. It was comforting, but soon the levels of desire in them both rose again, reminding of the goal they set.

Megatron moved his head to look Optimus in the eyes,

“Are we finished?” he asked.

His eyes were dark and narrow again and his smile caused another wave of heat running through Optimus’ circuitry, cooling fans close to online.

Optimus smiled.

“You are impatient.”

The blasted smile just got wider, hands moved to cup Optimus face.

“I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. Come here.”

It was a long, deep kiss, more tender than the previous one, but as powerful.

Optimus found himself pushed down, Megatron above him, again, smiling wickedly, despite there was nothing menacing in his field: quite the contrary, the desire in it was mixed with something new, something tender.

He saw Megatron kneeling above his hips, then he felt one of his hands stroking his panel and reaching into the seams. Megatron’s own panel was open already and the fingers of the second hands were sliding inside: a hypnotizing view, and judging from Megatron’s smile he was aware of this.

Optimus’ panel clicked open and now he could feel fingers entwining around his spike, and then something warmer and wetter.

Megatron leaned above him, smiling, fingers wet with lubricant brushing his lips. Optimus licked them instantly, and it rewarded him a pleased and amused moan.

“In hindsight” Megatron purred, letting Optimus lick his fingers clean. “Seeing how greedy you are, I should have made you lick me first.”

“I can do it later.” Optimus offered.

He got a pleased moan as the answer, and a long sweep of the tongue on his lips, before Megatron leaned back again and started to move his hips in slow, circling moves.

It soon got faster and harder and then Megatron leaned again, his mouth close to Optimus’ finial and audial receptor, ex-venting hot air.

“Say it” he demanded.

Optimus was surprised at first, but then he got it. His fans got louder, his hips rising, thrusting hard into his partner. He gripped Megatron’s hips, hard.

“You’re mine” he gasped.

It was ridiculous how well it worked. They didn’t own each other, they never would, but it really didn’t matter. What mattered was the rolling overload coming for both of them.

Optimus found himself stroking the back of Megatron’s helm, still aroused, not exhausted enough to end this. He smiled, as his partner rose his head.

“Lay down,” he said, sitting up himself. “I also promised to do something.”

He kissed Megatron first, long and tenderly, before he slowly pushed his legs apart, hand on each tight. He smiled at the view: the calipers still open wide and twitching after overload, nodes pulsing, charge still cracking on the surface.

“You are gorgeous,” he said, closing his face.

It was not hard to cause another overload, but Optimus took his time, licking the outside and pushing his glossa inside, tasting the fluids and the charge, listening to the moans somewhere above his head, before he felt Megatron’s body getting tense again and all the charge just erupting around his month.

He looked at his former enemy, who was just lying below him, fans still catching cold air and emitting hot, engine running on high, but slowly slowing down into relaxed purr, face relaxed into bliss. How beautiful Megatron’s face was this way – like it belonged to some other mech, someone Optimus was just getting to know.

It was still hard to believe.

He leaned over his partner, stroked the rim of his helm, smiled at those dimmed, hazed eyes.

“All right?” he asked.

“Primus damn it, I have no idea, what we are going to do with our lives now, but I suggest figuring it out in a berth… I don’t want to leave it for a week, at least.”

Optimus smiled again, feeling the emptiness still there, but at least for now pushed away.

“I think this can be done.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is kind of an epilogue for Miko's arc


	22. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Too many meetings – Back to Jasper – Who does this car reminds me of? - Parallel universes, part 2 – We will find our lives

Miko left.

She knew, that after what happened she couldn’t stay in the army. Not with all the lies, not after what she had done.

They promised her promotion, and the general said, that she deserves a medal. Not for the assassination, because officially Miko wasn’t the one who did it, but her performance inside Kaschig’s Field and the discovery she was a part of deserved that.

Miko thanked and said she was leaving. It was easy to ascribe this to the trauma and Miko didn’t even try to correct this assumption. So she was relieved of duty with promotion to lieutenant, and given the list of the PTSD specialists. She wasn’t going to use this list, there were many people with actual trauma, but she thanked nevertheless.

There were many people who wanted to meet her. She was of course heard by the Galactic Council officials and officers – all of them aliens – investigating the assassination. She had to write multiple reports. At the end of this round, she was already frustrated and tired.

She met the Cybertronian ambassador and this was a very awkward meeting. She felt that he was the person that should know the truth, but there was no way to tell it while avoiding the Council listening. And besides, she made a promise not to tell anybody except for Sari.

She felt the urge, nevertheless, and some parts of her mind were telling her, that Bumblebee should be trusted, that he deserves to know. Especially when he expressed displeasure with Megatron’s fate: both with the imprisonment and the alleged assassination.

“Execution was the best possible option” he stated, and he sounded like he considered this “best possible option” a lesser evil.

Miko just nodded.

She kept her cover by asking who would want to kill Megatron, but she, naturally, got no answer.

She believed Bumblebee had already multiple possible answers and that “Marissa Faireborn” was one of them.

But Miko’s hands were clean.

She met another Cybertronian after she got back to Earth, an ex-Decepticon named Thundercracker. He was interested in Miko’s adventures, especially in the possibility to adapt it to a movie script. He also stated he was “very close” to Marissa Faireborn. Miko hoped this meant “very close friends” because she had enough of unsettling mental images.

However, no matter how close they were, the general obviously hadn’t told him that she was behind the assassination of his former leader. And Thundercracker didn’t really want to discuss Megatron. When Miko tried to talk on this subject, he dismissed it by saying this is the past he had already left behind long ago.

He had also a very friendly dog who loved Miko from the first moment. This meeting was… interesting.

It was also exhausting and Miko was relieved as it was finally over and she could make her own plans.

She wanted, terribly, to go to Jasper and visit the old base again, before she would decide what to do next.

The town changed since Miko last saw it. It was larger, to her surprise: as she found out, last year an Energon deposit was discovered nearby and now the people from Jasper could profit from Cybertronian presence. A new cinema was being built next to the main road: Miko regretted there was no such thing when she lived here for this short period of her life. It would be at least less boring.

This was other times though, another, metaphorically speaking.

She couldn’t recognize any of the people she saw on the streets. The kids she went to school with grew up, some of them left the town. She briefly wondered what happened to the boy whose bike she had stolen, but even if she met him, what could she say to him? Maybe that she is sorry, but this wouldn’t help.

She had no friends in Jasper before and she had no friends in Jasper now.

The old base remained unused, to Miko’s surprise. Why she asked, and no one really knew. This thing lost its strategic value in the nineties, she was informed. Maybe now, after establishing the Energon mine in the vicinity, maybe it could be used by some Cybertronians…

This sounded like something that was extremely right.

But until it happened, Miko wanted to explore on her own.

She borrowed a car. She chose an old off-road car, large, heavy and army green. There was something about it that invoked warm feelings, but it was stupid because it was just a car. But sitting inside it felt good and for a moment, as Miko looked at her reflection in the car’s mirror, she had the glimpse of her younger self.

The younger self from an alternate universe – she was more and more sure about that.

Who was that other Miko now, who was she after getting her dream so early in her life? Who was her friend, of whom reminded Miko this large off-road car?

Maybe she would never learn this, but she wanted to try.

The desert, the imaginary alien planet from her teenage years seemed to be mundane now, but at the same time, it looked so familiar, that Miko felt nostalgic – even if her life here had been boring.

She parked the borrowed car in front of the base and entered inside. It was dark, but not as dark as the station inside Kaschig’s Field, not as dark, as space had been when Miko had been floating in the debris field, desperately calling for help.

She had dreamed of the base then. She dreamed of meeting Optimus Prime here – and other Cybertronians she couldn’t identify, although she suspected she had seen one of them already.

This didn’t happen to her. This happened to the other Miko. She just dreamed of it, because why not, parallel universes existed: the one from which Shatter came, bringing the entierly new Cybertron, the one in which Sari Sumdac was this weird technoorganical hybrid. This entirely distant one where the woman named Parvati lived. The one, in which Miko Nakadai met her aliens here, at the abandoned base.

She stood inside the center of the base. It smelled of dust and rust, was full of echoes, as it was when she entered it for the first time. This was the place, where she had been dreaming of adventure, where she saw the shadow of the life she had never had.

But now she had something else, and maybe she had made a mistake, helping Megatron to escape, but maybe not. She trusted Optimus Prime, because the other Miko trusted him, because why wouldn’t she?

Suddenly the air started to smell like ozone and Miko heard cracking of energy.

As she turned around, there was a green glow inside the room.

***

She grinned, because why wouldn’t she. She was again in her universe, in front of her abandoned base. The large car stood there patiently, the cell phone left inside indicating not much time had passed.

This was much, much more time for Miko.

She saw her face in car’s mirror, still grinning.

She chose the number.

“Sari?” she said, as her friend answered. “This is Miko. Sorry, I hadn’t contact you as soon as I returned, but I needed to check on something first. We need to meet, immediately! I have so many things to tell you! Sari, I’ve found my life! And yours! I need to tell you, before… before we go together. We have the whole universe waiting for us!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took my friend four or five years to persuade me to read MTMTE. I finally did in August 2018. I borrowed the first three volumes and the next day I was already in love and wanting more. I never considered Transformers to be something that would interest me, but there I was, deep in a Black Hole of a fandom and I loved it. I started to read more, comics and fanfiction (I first encountered Soundwave while reading An Adjustment of Plans and I had to check how does he look like…). I bought my first figure at the end of August.
> 
> By the end of October, I developed a crush on Megatron and I was already a devoted MegOP shipper. I never expected a happy ending in that matter, but then November came and the Lost Light finale and I was crushed. I needed a fix so I started to write one and Chasing Ghosts happened. Then I started to think about how it happened and the plot in my head grew and grew. I watched TFP and Miko just appeared in my story. I watched Bumblebee and I decided Shatter would do great. Then a friend suggested I took part in the Big Bang, so I did…
> 
> I wanted a short fix, a heist, some romance added… I expected to write about 40k words. I wrote almost 100k. This was the first such long fanfic for me in years. The first long story written in English. I still have no idea how it happened, but it did.
> 
> It's been a long journey for me. Posting turned out to be harder than I expected, but I overcome it. I got such a lovely feedback that I'm still surprised and delighted by it. It's almost a year since I had one of the biggest popular-culture-induced heartbreaks And I feel a little weird seeing what was the outcome. Because I've never exepected I will love Transformers and I doubted I will be writing and publishing long fanfiction - but here I am.
> 
> I have some more ideas, so more comes in the future.
> 
> For all the support and feedback - thank you!


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